The itinerary begins in the city of Ferrara, where we suggest you spend a day discovering the Renaissance charm of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Emblematic of the splendour of the Renaissance in Ferrara are the Este Castle, the heart and symbol of the city, the Erculean Addition, with its stately palaces, including the famous Palazzo dei Diamanti, with its unique ashlar facade, which today houses important exhibitions and the National Art Gallery, and Palazzo Schifanoia, the Este Delizia closest to the city centre, which houses an evocative cycle of frescoes among the most important in Italy in the 15th century, the collective work of several Ferrara painters from the school of Cosmé Tura, including Francesco del Cossa and Ercole de’ Roberti.

But Ferrara is much more: discover what to see in Ferrara in a 10-step itinerary.

In the morning, after a good breakfast in one of the historic pastry shops in the centre of Ferrara, take your bike to the railway station to catch the regional train to Codigoro.
To select the train that allows bicycles on board, simply download the Trenitalia app and activate the ‘Travelling with your bike’ (Viaggia con la tua bici) option in the search screen.

Our stop is Ostellato, a small town in the Ferrara valleys. This is the starting point of the Po di Volano cycle path, an evocative route that follows this ancient waterway to Codigoro and the Abbey of Pomposa.

In the Middle Ages, the Po di Volano was the northern arm of the Po and an important communication route between Ferrara and the Adriatic. Today it is a reclamation canal characterised by reeds and willows and dotted with a series of manor houses.

The cycle path from Ostellato to Pomposa is about thirty kilometres long and is easy to ride. If you prefer, you can get off at Codigoro and cycle the last part of the way to the Abbey of Pomposa, whose tall bell tower dominates the surrounding countryside.

The Abbey of Pomposa was one of the most important medieval monastic complexes in Italy and is one of the most fascinating places in the province of Ferrara.

Founded between the 6th and 7th centuries, the abbey, characterised by a tall bell tower, is famous for its 14th-century frescoes inspired by Giotto and for the mosaic and intarsia flooring that decorate the interior of the church.

The complex also includes the Refectory, with its delicate frescoes, and the Pomposian Museum, housed in the former monastic dormitory.

A curiosity that makes this place so fascinating is that it was here that the monk Guido d’Arezzo developed the modern seven-note system of musical notation.

After your visit, you can relax in the gardens surrounding the abbey or stop at a local restaurant to taste local specialities such as cappellacci and pasticcio ferrarese.

From the Abbey of Pomposa, continue by bike along the cycle path that enters the Po Delta Park, passing by some very interesting natural areas.

The first is the Cannevié-Porticino Oasis, a small brackish valley of 64 hectares with ancient origins: references to Porticino in particular can be found in the inventory of Alfonso II d’Este’s properties.
The oasis is bordered at both ends by two “casoni”, which in the past were used to store fishing equipment.

The second is the Bertuzzi Valley, one of the most suggestive wetlands in the Po Delta Park.
Made up of three valleys (Bertuzzi, Cantone and Nuova), it covers an area of about 2,000 hectares and is home to numerous species of birds, including herons, sarguards, black-winged stilts, terns and gulls.
Moreover, the high salinity of the water, especially in summer, has made the Valle Bertuzzi a resting and nesting place for the famous pink flamingos.

The itinerary continues through some of Ferrara’s lido’s (Lido delle Nazioni, Lido di Pomposa, Lido degli Scacchi) to Porto Garibaldi, an ancient fishing village that has kept its charm intact.

From Porto Garibaldi, take the last stretch of cycle path to cover the last few kilometres that separate you from your destination: the lagoon town of Comacchio.

The cycle route from the abbey to Comacchio is 32 kilometres long, on roads that are not particularly difficult.

Comacchio is the “Little Venice” of Emilia-Romagna: its charming historical centre, crossed by bridges and canals, offers suggestive views at every hour.

Among the places not to be missed are the Trepponti bridge, symbol of the town, the Ancient Delta Museum, which tells the history of the area, and the Manifattura dei Marinati (the pickling factory), where you can learn how eels, caught in the nearby Comacchio Valleys, were processed and marinated in the past.

Finally, it is time to get back on the bike and, following the inland roads, reach Codigoro railway station (about 20 kilometres from Comacchio) to catch the train back to Ferrara.
To select the train that allows bicycles on board, simply download the Trenitalia app and activate the ‘Travelling with your bike’ (Viaggia con la tua bici) option in the search screen.