Why this ride
From Zola Predosa it runs 227 km to Zola Predosa; allow about 4 h 52 of riding. It goes by way of Cathedral, Bassa collina reggiana, back through Bassa collina reggiana and back through Cathedral.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Gessi di Zola predosa and Cathedral
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 227 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 52
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Gessi di Zola predosa → Cathedral
Speed drops and stays down. Park rather than crawl through. 42 km through ground somebody thought worth listing. The road passes it rather than bypassing it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 44 km
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Gessi di Zola predosa
Southwest of Bologna, where the flat Po plain meets the first ripples of the Apennines, the hills around Zola Predosa hide a strange geology. These are gypsum hills, made of evaporite rock formed when an ancient sea dried out millions of years ago, leaving layers of shimmering selenite crystals. Water dissolves gypsum easily, and over time it has carved sinkholes, blind valleys and caves through the rock. In 2023, the Evaporitic Karst and Caves of the Northern Apennines were listed by UNESCO, and the Gessi Bolognesi around here are a key part of that story.
Read the complete Gessi di Zola predosa write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Gessi di Zola predosa is where the day begins. Next is Cathedral.
2. Cathedral
Modena's cathedral is one of the masterpieces of Romanesque architecture in Europe, and the inscription on its facade still names its makers with pride: the architect Lanfranco and the sculptor Wiligelmo. Work began in 1099 to house the relics of Saint Geminianus, the city's patron, and the result is a building of pale stone, with arcaded galleries, lions supporting the columns of the portal, and carved panels telling the story of Genesis with an expressive power that still surprises. The Ghirlandina, the cathedral's bell tower, leans slightly and rises high above the rooftops, and together with the Piazza Grande they form a UNESCO site.
Read the complete Cathedral write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Cathedral comes up about 44 km into the recorded legs. Next is Bassa collina reggiana.
3. Bassa collina reggiana
The low hills south of Reggio Emilia, where the Po plain starts to ripple up toward the Apennines, hide a strange geology: outcrops of gypsum, the glittering crystalline rock left behind when ancient seas evaporated millions of years ago. Water dissolves gypsum easily, and over time it has carved caves, sinkholes and blind valleys into these hills. The Bassa Collina Reggiana, the low Reggio hill country, is part of the UNESCO site Evaporitic Karst and Caves of Northern Apennines, listed in 2023, and around Borzano, Albinea and Vezzano sul Crostolo you can see the white and grey gypsum cliffs poking through the woods and vineyards.
Read the complete Bassa collina reggiana write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 80 km into the recorded legs you reach Bassa collina reggiana.
4. Cathedral
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Cathedral write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Cathedral, about halfway. Next is back through Bassa collina reggiana.
5. back through Bassa collina reggiana
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Bassa collina reggiana write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Bassa collina reggiana sits at 150 km, about halfway. Next is back through Cathedral.
6. back through Cathedral
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Cathedral write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Cathedral comes up about 190 km into the recorded legs. Next is Gessi di Zola predosa.
7. Gessi di Zola predosa
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Gessi di Zola predosa write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Gessi di Zola predosa closes the day.
Leg by leg
Gessi di Zola predosa to Cathedral
Gessi di Zola predosa → Cathedral is 44 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Cathedral to Bassa collina reggiana
Cathedral → Bassa collina reggiana is 36 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Bassa collina reggiana to Cathedral
Bassa collina reggiana → Cathedral is 37 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Cathedral to back through Bassa collina reggiana
Cathedral → back through Bassa collina reggiana is 36 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Bassa collina reggiana to back through Cathedral
back through Bassa collina reggiana → back through Cathedral is 37 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Cathedral to Gessi di Zola predosa
back through Cathedral → Gessi di Zola predosa is 39 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.