Last Updated on 7 October 2024 by Cycloscope
Pineta di Classe Cycling Route: From Ravenna to Cervia Among Canals, Flamingos, and Ancient Trees
About 7 km from Ravenna, the bike path inside the Pineta di Classe begins. I continued towards Cervia and then along the sea following the Adriatic Bike Route (BI6), but you can enjoy a day cycling through the Pineta di Ravenna on a loop route.
The path is well-marked, at least when coming from Ravenna. It’s flat and suitable for all types of bicycles. I used a bikepacking setup (saddlebag, handlebar bag, and top tube bag) and a Specialized Crux. If you’d like to explore the area by bike, there are several rental points available in Ravenna, Cervia, and the surrounding area.
The first few kilometers of the cycle path are paved, leading to the entrance of the actual pine forest, where the well-maintained dirt path begins, offering ample shade—perfect even on hot summer days. I biked here in mid-September; during autumn, rain may limit accessibility to the path.
Ravenna Pinewood Loop
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History and Wildlife of Ravenna’s Pine Forest
The Pineta di Ravenna is a lowland forest, a 900-hectare woodland characterized by trees growing on flat land. Few people know that the Po Valley was entirely covered by a vast forest until the 1600s, populated by deer, wolves, and bears. The pine forest is one of the few remaining glimpses of what the region might have looked like not so long ago.
The town of Classe, which gives the pine forest its name, was the ancient port of Ravenna, a major maritime hub during the Roman Empire. The forest provided timber for building the imperial fleet and was a vital resource for locals, offering wood, fruits, resins, and wild game.
The forest retained its importance during the Middle Ages and beyond, though the wooded area gradually shrank due to agricultural expansion and urban development. In the 19th and 20th centuries, reforestation efforts were undertaken to preserve the area and restore some of the original landscape. Today, the pine forest is a protected area, part of the Po Delta Regional Park, which offers many fascinating cycling routes.
Wolves returned to the area in 2020, and a pack of at least eight wolves was spotted in 2023. The forest is also home to foxes, porcupines, fallow deer, and wild boar, as well as many bird species, including beloved pink flamingos.
The first part of the route passes through dense forest, then the Mediterranean vegetation mixes with arid grasslands and periodically flooded lowlands, like the oases of Ortazzo and Ortazzino near the mouth of the Bevano stream. There are birdwatching towers where you can take a break and admire the pink flamingos and other birds in the wetlands, as well as the traditional fishing huts (called “Trabocchi” in Abruzzo) that dot the Adriatic coast.
Cervia and Milano Marittima Pinewood Forest
After finishing the route in the Pineta di Classe, you can follow signs toward the Pineta di Cervia and the Saline (salt pans). The route is cycle-friendly, mostly away from cars, following canals and fishing huts. Along the way, you can visit the Butterfly House, the Cervia Salt Pans, and the town of Cervia with its Salt Museum, great food, and a charming pedestrian center.
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