Bike itinerary: Cesenatico – Bertinoro, the Balcony of Romagna
Thanks to this itinerary from the sea to the hills, you will discover one of the most famous villages in the Romagna hills: due to its beauty and the panorama it offers, it is nicknamed the Balcony of Romagna. Are you curious to discover more interesting facts about Bertinoro?
How to do it: recommended itinerary for medium-difficulty cycle tourists, with a climb with a 10-12% gradient.
Distance covered: 60 km.
Detailed itinerary: from Cesenatico take the SS 304 towards Cesena and in the hamlet of Villalta turn right towards Pisignano; keep to the left following the signs for Cannuzzo, Matellica and Mensa, where you cross the E 45 highway; at the intersection with the SS 71 turn left and then right towards Forlimpopoli, thus reaching S. Maria Nuova; cross the Via Emilia and the road immediately begins to climb; once in Bertinoro (from where, if desired, you can make a small detour to Polenta and Fratta Terme) follow the signs for Cesena and Settecrociari; in Cesena return to the SS 304 for Cesenatico.
Main stops
Bertinoro: built on a hill dominated by a castle built in the 10th-11th centuries, the town is famous for its panorama (it is called the balcony of Romagna), its excellent wines and for being the town of hospitality. In the central Piazza della Libertà stands the famous column with rings, each corresponding to a local family. In past centuries, the ring to which the traveler tied his horse indicated the family with whom he would be a guest. Also worth visiting are the municipal palace built in 1306 and the cathedral, a reconstruction from the late 16th century.
Polenta: a hamlet of the municipality of Bertinoro, where the beautiful Romanesque church of San Donato stands.
Fratta Terme: a hydrotherapeutic station with salt-bromine-iodine, sulphurous and salt-magnesium water springs. The discovery of Roman architectural elements has justified the hypothesis that the exploitation of the waters for thermal purposes dates back to that era.
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