The ciclovia dei castelli is a ring-shaped cycling route on the banks of the Magra river which touches the municipalities of Pontremoli, Filattiera, Bagnone, Villafranca and Mulazzo. 47 km of which 29 on asphalt, 3 on pavement and 15 km on dirt tracks. A ring identified by brown vertical signs with a white arrow and a bike design that can be started from any point on the track.
1. The cycle path has its symbolic beginning in the historic center of Pontremoli, near the medieval bridge of Cresa. From here you cycle along the tree-lined avenue of the Chiosi, its bridge, the marvelous Villa Barocca Dosi Delfini and climb the Piagnaro hill, dominated by the Castle and its Museum of the statue stele of Lunigiana. You go back down to Piazza del Duomo and Piazza della Repubblica, the beating hearts of the city and ride on the cobblestones until you exit the village from Porta Fiorentina.
2. Subsequently, the itinerary of the Via Francigena is partly exploited through the village of the SS Annunziata to then enter the municipality of Filattiera and the Valle del Caprio. Here the beautiful villas, olive trees and vines lead up to the village of Ponticello and its medieval tower houses.
3. Still on the Via Francigena, cycle along the banks of the Magra River and reach the Romanesque parish church of Sorano and then return to the riverside on an easy gravel dirt road. Then you go up the Bagnone Valley along Mocrone and Malgrate up to the beautiful village of Bagnone and its Castle which you skirt around to then pass into the municipality of Villafranca, with the medieval village of Virgoletta.
4. You reach Villafranca Lunigiana and its park along the Magra River. Cross the river and find yourself pedaling through the municipality of Mulazzo along the nature trail which, with beautiful paths, leads up the valley on the right bank until you reach Pontremoli again. A path of great satisfaction and variety. Along the way, there are self-repair columns and countless stops for visits and tastings. From the Ciclovia, connecting the valley , about 20 MTB itineraries of varying difficulty branch off towards the side valleys.