Discovering Little Venice

Itinerary: Porto Garibaldi, Comacchio

Easy and flat, this itinerary leads entirely through the brackish valleys of Po Delta Regional Park, an area rich in bird fauna and a natural habitat for eels. Comacchio is undoubtedly the highlight of this route: “Little Venice” is the most fascinating historical town in the Po Delta, a magnificent work of hydraulic engineering and architecture made up of canals, alleyways and bridges. Here, you can visit the Museo Manifattura dei Marinati (Museum of Marinated Eels) and discover the production process for making marinated eel, an ancient speciality in these parts and a Slow Food presidium. The itinerary then heads back towards Lido degli Estensi, along pleasant country roads and a few easy dirt roads along the water’s edge. You can then return to Porto Garibaldi crossing the canal by ferry, certainly a delightful experience for aspiring cyclists.

Curiosities

Trepponti bridge

At the entrance to the historic centre of Comacchio, the iconic Trepponti bridge was built in the 17th century and acted as the city’s fortified gateway for controlling naval traffic from the Adriatic Sea. Today, Trepponti Bridge is one of the symbols of the lagoon city and crossroads of the four canals that cross and surround Comacchio: Borgo, Salara, Sant’Agostino and San Pietro.

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