In our country, the centers with the greatest cycling culture are those of Emilia Romagna: Reggio Emilia, Piacenza, Parma and Forlì. To excel among these is undoubtedly Ferrara. Located in the Emilian plain, the city rises a few kilometers south of the Po river, about 50 km from the sea, and can count on more than 150 km of cycle paths: this makes Ferrara the most cycle-friendly city in Italy.
It is no coincidence, in fact, that a sign with the words “Ferrara city of bicycles” is placed at every access in the walls: its historic center is considered as an urban unit that favors the integration of the cycling component. Ferrara managed to extend the ZTL to the entire historic center and, already in 2018, cyclists represented 89.5% of the 135,000 inhabitants. Furthermore, the share of urban bicycle trips was 20%, and, by combining cycling and walking, 30%.
The bike as a model of modern tourism
The fifth edition of the Slow Cyclist Festival took place from 29 to 31 October in Ferrara, an event dedicated to knowing how to enjoy the extended times of non-competitive cycling. On this occasion it was discussed how the bicycle can represent a model of modern tourism, capable of enhancing the territory and recovering the social function of small inhabited centers. It is also clear that this vehicle is the symbol of sustainable mobility, a resource of all large metropolises for regulating urban traffic.
In Ferrara, cycle tourism is a top activity, and tourists have long historical and architectural routes at their disposal. From Cento to Comacchio, from the hinterland to the sea, there are hundreds of kilometers marked by a formidable network of routes that wind between the city and the countryside, between protected oases and lowland villages. Among these there is also a path of about 9 kilometers that goes around the center, along the historic walls that enclose the old city. From May to October, with the Visit Ferrara consortium, it is possible to experience some of these suggestive bike tours among nature, culture and gastronomy.
Moreover, Ferrara, as the most cycle-friendly city in Italy, joins the European network of bicycle-friendly cities “Cities for Cyclists”.
If, on the other hand, you want to visit it independently, thanks to the C’entro by bike and Mi Muovo services, you can use the bike-sharing service, available in many parts of the city (over 20 parking spaces). Alternatively, you can go to the many rental shops, where you can rent a bike from € 7 per day.
A more cycling world
The pandemic has affected, among other things, travel habits. Main driver of this change was the need to find alternative solutions for public transport users, severely affected by anti-contagion restrictions.
The choice of many administrations was to focus on encouraging the use of bicycles, in order to avoid the exclusive use of private cars. In Europe alone, one billion euros have been invested in infrastructure for two-wheelers and more than 2,300 km of new cycle paths have been planned. The introduction of concessions for the purchase of two-wheeled pedals or micro-mobility vehicles was also a major driver of change.
In Italy, thanks to the monitoring of Eco-Counter (the automatic pedestrian and cyclist counter system active in 55 countries around the world) it was possible to quantify an increase in cyclists of + 27.5%, the highest in Europe.
