The Parks and Castles of the Duchy Bicycle Touring Itinerary is a 150-km route, divided into 5 stages of varying degrees of difficulty, immersed in the nature of the Stirone and Piacenziano Regional Park, which leads to the discovery of castles, fortresses, and manors in the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza. History, art, natural landscapes, culture and food and wine within pedal's reach.
Castell'Arquato, Gropparello, Vigoleno, Castelnuovo Fogliani, Scipione and Tabiano are the jewels of the Castles od the Duchy circuit of Parma, Piacenza and Pontremoli touched by the itinerary.
They are flanked by villages, churches and parish churches that take us back to the Middle Ages. The striking Art Nouveau architecture of Salsomaggiore Terme completes the picture.
A variant leads to the archaeological area of Veleia Romana, an ancient Roman city among the most important testimonies of the period in northern Italy.
Numerous streams and torrents, Stirone and Arda the main ones, furrow the territory and draw valleys, against the backdrop of a gentle hilly landscape covered with vineyards and crops.
The entire Stirone and Piacenziano Park is extraordinarily important from the paleontological point of view, thanks to the remarkable presence of fossiliferous finds from the Tertiary and Quaternary eras, brought to light by erosive processes, which have made it known to the international scientific world.
The new Mu.MAB (Ancient Sea and Biodiversity Museum) at the Millepioppi Park Center in the locality of San Nicomede (Salsomaggiore Terme PR) allows visitors to learn about the history of the ancient Po Valley sea.
The itinerary is marked in the area with vertical signs. You can also download the free EasyWays App and search for "Itinerario Cicloturistico Parchi e Castelli del Ducato" in the Local Networks section.
To find out all the details about the individual stages and download GPX and KMZ tracks, you can go to the Parks of the Duchy website.
Itinerary Information Point:
Castelli del Ducato di Parma, Piacenza, Guastalla e Pontremoli
E-mail: info@castellidelducato.it
sito web: www.castellidelducato.it
