In Search of the Last Wetlands: Through the Traditional Countryside Between the Idice and Sillaro Rivers

There is a secret side to the plain where human ingenuity and nature have coexisted for centuries in fascinating harmony. This 60 km loop itinerary in the eastern Bologna plain invites you to slow down and explore a landscape shaped by a historic network of land reclamation canals, ancient villages, protected wetlands, and world-class scientific research facilities. It is an ideal route for lovers of slow cycle tourism, gravel riding, or e-bike excursions. With its starting and ending point conveniently located at the Castel San Pietro Terme Railway Station, the itinerary is perfectly suited for sustainable travel directly from Bologna using the train+bike combination.

Leaving the station, cross Via Aldo Moro and Via Scania, follow a short stretch of the Via Emilia and then turn onto Via San Biagio towards Poggio, skirting the picturesque Laghetto dell’Invaso. A few kilometres further on, you’ll reach Villafontana, the historic centre of the Partecipanza Agraria. This ancient medieval community institution still governs the collective management of the lands in the Bologna plain today, representing an extraordinary living example of social organisation and a connection to the land. Following Via Fasanina to Fiorentina, rural charm meets cutting-edge international space science at the Medicina Radio Astronomical Station (INAF). The gigantic 32-meter “Noto-Medicina” parabolic dish and the sprawling “Northern Cross” antenna array (one of the world’s largest radio receiving systems) stand tall above the fields. At the “Marcello Ceccarelli” Visitor Center, interactive displays and 3D projections show how scientists “listen” to radio signals from the distant universe.

Continuing along Via Buda, the landscape is enriched by bodies of water and moisture-loving vegetation belonging to the ‘Il Quadrone’ Wildlife Protection Oasis, a 270-hectare protected area offering a mosaic of natural habitats – valley wetlands, moist woodlands and wet meadows – ideal for birdwatching, thanks to observation huts and guided nature trails.

Continuing on, you reach the ancient village of Buda, a place of timeless charm which, until the 18th century, served as a proper port on the permanent waterways of the plain. The route continues along Via Guazzaloca and Via Ganzanigo, skirting the village of the same name that has grown up along the banks of the Medicina Canal. Once you reach Medicina — famous worldwide for its production of the Cipolla di Medicina PGI — you enter its historic centre with its arcaded streets. During the tour, you’ll come across the Parco delle Mondine and the historic wash house, testaments to the indissoluble historical link between the community, agricultural work and water management.

Leaving the town behind, you come to the Trifolce flood control reservoir (in the municipality of Castel Guelfo di Bologna), a hydraulic infrastructure built by the Consorzio della Bonifica Renana to ensure hydrogeological safety and provide a summer irrigation reserve, which blends seamlessly into the rural landscape thanks to the planting of native species. Continuing along Via Madonna del Poggio, Via San Carlo, Via Brina and Via Madonnina, you return to Castel San Pietro Terme, crossing over the motorway. After crossing Via Mazzini in the heart of the historic centre, you reach the spectacular Medieval Lock on the Sillaro (1268), the water diversion structure from which the Canale dei Mulini (Canale di Medicina) originates. From here, a very short stretch leads back to the station for the return journey to Bologna.