Faenza: The Juice of Romagna - The Bulzaga Brothers
The aim of this guided bike tour is to put you in contact with the authenticity of the territory of Faenza and Brisighella through an experience that regards exploring local agricultural delights products by the Bulzaga farm company such as the wine, olive oil, vegetables, fruits, cold cuts such as prosciutto and cheese, plus meeting the people behind the scenes that are responsible for the transformation of what nature provides into excellence, low carbon footprint goods and still beeing able to learn from the historical sites to be visited and ecosystem flows to be regarded. Before the tasting, the tour will cross Brisighella, a hidden gem in the calanchi mounts nearby, allowing you some time to explore it. After the tasting, we hit the secondary roads along the vineyards, mostly downhill to reach the Bulzaga Garden, where you can find a shop to go for some souvenirs or even have a coffee.
Duration: approx. 6 hs
Tour Language: English/Italian/Portuguese
Collective Group Size*: Minimum of 4 and maximum of 10 attendees (Special Deals for Private Groups: contact us)
Free cancellation: as long as it is carried out within 24 hours of the departure time
Meeting Point (address): Garden Bulzaga - Via Firenze, 479, 48018 Errano RA (Click here for GPS navigation)
Available times: 09:00 am
*If you’re booking for less than 4 people, we’ll confirm the tour until 2 weeks prior. In case the minimum group size is not reached, we’ll offer reallocation or provide full reimbursement of the amount paid.
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09.00 am - Meeting at the Garden Bulzaga. Address Via Firenze, 479, 48018 Errano RA. The place has a vending machine (where you can get coffee or refreshments) and Toilets. We’ll meet at the parking lot to start the Bike fitting and the introductory briefing.
09.30 am - Departure from Garden Bulzaga alogn the cycle lane towards the city of Faenza.
10.00 am - Crossing the Countryside of Faenza, in the direction of Sarna.
11.00 am - Arrival at the village of Brisighella. You’ll have free time to explore the city. Orientation will be provided by the guide.
12.00 am - Head towards the winery of Bulzaga, located in the Calanchi Mounts next to the starting point.
01.30 pm - Wine Tasting at the Bulzaga Winery paired by local delights produced by the Bulzaga farm company.
03.00 pm - Start of the displacement towards the starting point. Mostly descents, on secondary tarmac roads and cycle lanes (easy ride).
03.30 pm - End of the tour at the Garden Bulzaga, where you’ll find souvenirs and the wines you’ve tasted precedently.
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The tour starts with a warm welcoming at the Garden Bulzaga, where you can get some refreshments or an italian coffee (not included). After introducing ourselves, we’ll proceed to the safety briefing. After aprox. 30 min and having done a test ride in the parking lot, you’ll be ready to turn on your electrical engines on and head out to Brisighella, away approximately 15 miles.
Our route will touch the ancient walls of the historical centre of Faenza through the cycle lanes, before we enter the rural areas. After crossing the city’s main river, the Lamone, we start transitioning to a much quieter and romantic realty. Medieval buildings give space to Elegant Villas and concrete makes way to fruit fields, turning the gray tones into a much wider spectrum, specially greener tones (during spring). After an hour through secondary roads, we cross again the Lamone and start climbing to reach the majestic hamlet of Brisighella. Then it is time for an orientation tour and if you’re willing to climb some stairs, you’ll get to visit the elegant medieval castle and the watchtower with an alluring view to the valley.
For those wanting to wander around the chaming citadelle, there’s lots of options of cozy cafes, a gelateria, and also small shops that sell local products, rather than exploring the famous Donkey’s Alley and other historical angles of it.
After, approx. 1 hour, we climb back to our saddles to reach the calanchi mounts where the winery is placed. We’ll cross the Lamone river one more time and notice a clear change in the landscape. The fruit farms give place to olive trees and vineyards. The gentle and round hills turn into more aggressive, vertical, impressive grey lines that constitute the Calanchi. These are the byproduct of the landscape evolution, creating unique forms that resemble, in certain ways, a lunar scenery.
The winery seats in the watershed, with a great view to one of the Calanchi Mounts. After the climb (softened by the electric assisted engines) it is time to relax in the confortable structure and prepare to be guided on a journey by Alessandro or one of the sommeliers into the world of the organic farming that gives birth to the eccellent wines of Bulzaga and also all sorts of agricultural products to be paired with it.
Lasting around 1,5 hs the wine experience will give you the extra boost to complete the cycling route. We’ve chosen carefully to leave the easiest segment to the end of the tour. So it consists of the descents, mainly, on secondary and not trafficked at all roads, surrounded by vineyards and a great view to the city of Faenza (and luckily to the sea). We’ll be arriving at the starting point at around 03.30 pm.
If you’re up for some shopping, inside of the Garden Bulzaga, they sell all sorts of agricultural products (from fruits to wine) and you can get there your souvenir.
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Approximate Tour Duration: 6 hs
Total Approximate distance: 38,5 km / 23.9 mi
Accumulated Ascents: 391 m / 1,282 ft
Terrain: 95% asphalt (mostly secondary roads)
Maximum Climb Steepness: 12 %
Difficulty level: easy-medium
Technical Ability required: basic (capacity to perform ascents and descents on tarmac roads)
Physical Effort: easy-medium
Suitable for: all ages (minimum of 18 up to senior ages). E bike tour suitable for seniors.
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Local Cycling guide certified for the National MTB Academy, expert of the territory
Rental of Electrical Bike (City Bike type)
Helmet
Emergency mechanical assistance in the event of a breakdown
Tour Leader Third party civil liability insurance of the guide (in force in accordance with the terms of the RC 70346 policy)
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Wine Tasting (€27) to be paid directly in the winery (includes up to 3 glasses of wine and local traditional food:
1 portion of Piadina ( Romagna-Style flat Bread)
(omnivorous option) 1 chopping board of cold cuts (prosciutto and local cheese)
(Vegetarian option): artichoke (moretto variety) and toasted bread with a mix of vegetables pate
Dessert
Coffee
Water
Water or food to have during the bike ride, or during the stops
Shuttle o transfer
Meals or coffees
Personal Accidents Insurance (possible to be added under request)
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In the event of cancellation of the tour due to bad weather, it will be rescheduled. If participation on the new proposed date is impossible, the amount will be refunded (depending on the payment method, management costs may be withheld)
As long as the cancellation is requested within 48 hours of the start time of the chosen tour, the refund will be granted in full, with management costs relating to the payment method being withheld.
Refund won't be granted if the cancellation request arrives in less than 48 hours prior the tour meeting time.
In case the minimum number of participants won’t be reached, you’ll be offered to join another existing group. Not beeing able to join, a full refund will be provided.
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All images used are property of Bulzaga F.lli S.n.c. or CicloWine Bike Experiences.