Via Romea Germanica from Ravenna to Rome

Individual arrival in Ravenna.

Dinner and overnight in Ravenna.

The first day of the the second part of the Via Romea Germanica is a stage of approach to the Apennines. We pass in front of the beautiful Church of Sant’Apollinare in Classe and cross green pine forests. We head inland following the course of the river Savio. We stop in Cesena and visit the beautiful old town dominated by the Malatesta Fortress. Despite the original Via Romea Germanica path is located more to the west, this route is quieter, with few cars on the way, so we can enjoy the beauty of the Romagna hills in complete safety. We finally ride up to Bagno di Romagna, a well-known town famous for its spas.

Overnight in Bagno di Romagna.

From Bagno di Romagna, the climbs to the Apennines gets more challenging, but all the efforts rewarded with great views over the mountains and the peace fo the Casentinesi forest. After the climb, we cycle fast downhill to Badia Prataglia and after that, after another climb we get to the Sanctuary of La Verna, a place full of spirituality where Francis of Assisi used to live. After La Verna, the road goes downhill towards the river Arno valley. We cross some nice villages built by the shore of the river and finally we get to Arezzo, a beautiful art city.

Overnight in Arezzo.

This day, less challenging then the last two, starts off with a completely flat section in the Chiana Valley, crossed by a nice bike path surrounded by crops. The landscape changes radically once we approach to Cortona, a nice village built on the top of a hill, surrounded by olive groves and overlooked by the beautiful Santa Margherita church. Then, we cycle again in the countryside until we get to Castiglione del Lago, a charming village facing the large Lake Trasimeno.

Overnight in Castiglion del Lago.

We leave the Lake Trasimeno behind and we cycle on winding roads among rolling hills covered with sunflowers and olive groves, sometimes interrupted by nice cypress lines. The route goes up and down on the hills, we cross the medieval villages of Città della Pieve and Ficulle, and we finally arrive in Orvieto, a beautiful town built on the top of a cliff, famous for its gothic cathedral.

Overnight in Orvieto.

Right after Orvieto we enter the Tuscia region, a hilly area dotted with ancient villages carved in the stone: we visit civet di Bagnoregio, a semi-abandoned hamlet built on a cliff surrounded by badlands. After the break in Bagnoregio, we cycle up to Montefiascone, a nice town situated on a panorami hill that overlooks Lake Bolsena. We reach the ancient Via Cassia, a famous Roman stone-made road and finally we get to the beautiful city of Viterbo.

Overnight in Viterbo.

Here, Via Romea Germanica and Via Francigena follow the same route. We got out Viterbo cycling on a Via Cava, a road built by the Etruscan and carved in the tuff stone: riding surrounded by history will be exciting! We cycle on dirt roads among the hills in a area rich of Etruscan remains, such as the villages of Vetralla, Capranica and Sutri. We cross large meadows with pastures and stop at the waterfalls of Monte Gelato for a refreshing break. We reach the villages of campagna and Formello, the we cycle along the lush Sorbo Valley and finally we meet the River Tevere. We follow the river Tevere bike path until we get to the city centre and to San Peter Square, the end of our epic trip.

Dinner and overnight in Rome.

Breakfast in Hotel, free day and individual departure from Rome.