PO DELTA BY MOTORCYCLE (PART 2): ITINERARY ON TWO WHEELS FROM POMPOSA TO FERRARA

Our motorbike journey along the Po Delta starts again from Pomposa and goes to immerse itselves in the densest and most uncontaminated nature at the mouth of the Po. This stretch has a mixed and varied ecosystem where water is omnipresent and protagonist, forming protected areas, canals, marshes, reeds and lagoons. A unique and silent landscape, occasionally interrupted by some "casone" (typical huts, a point of reference for fishermen and valley guardians) or by some groups of herons in flight. A context that is at the same time changing - due to the currents and flows of fresh and salt water that mix with each other - a feature that has made it a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2015. If our first part described the itinerary on two wheels of the Po Delta starting from Emilia Romagna, now we will stay mostly in Veneto and then close again in Romagna, more precisely in Ferrara. So let's go and discover the second Roadsitalia motorcycle route to discover the Po Delta.

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PO DELTA BY MOTORCYCLE (PART 2): THE ROADSITALIA ROUTE

The motorcycle itinerary on the Po Delta Part 2 resumes from Lido di Volano towards Goro via the SP27. In this brief section, we will cross 3 nature reserves: the Bosco della Mesola State Reserve, the Frassini - Balanzetta Reserve and the Bosco della Mesola Nature Reserve. We are on the border between Veneto and Emilia Romagna, in an area below sea level. Various reclamation works have been carried out around Mesola and Goro, such as canals, culverts and dewatering pumps, especially since the second half of the nineteenth century. From Goro we take the SS309 (the famous Strada Romea) to first reach Mesola and then the Torre Abate via the small road along the Canale Bianco.

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Torre Abate was the garrison of the reclamation works started by the Este family of Ferrara in the 1600s, today a magical photo spot for passers-by due to its immense beauty. Following the SP38 by motorbike, we enter the Veneto territory of the Po Delta, continuing towards one of the easternmost locations of the reserves: Scardovari. The Sacca degli Scardovari is one of the most evocative landscapes where immense expanses of water alternate with a branched network of alleys, bridges, piers with moored boats, small houses on stilts and some small villages such as Bonelli and Tolle, made up of ten houses at most. The Sacca degli Scardovari is the largest lagoon in the delta, once dedicated to fishing for scardova (freshwater fish), today instead concentrated in the farming of mussels and clams. This stop on the journey is the ideal time to get off the motorbike and admire the balance between nature and human reclamation in all its beauty, taking all the time necessary to enjoy the destination. We also recommend that you take the various dirt small roads that branch off between Scardovari and Goro, a spectacle on the water reaching Santa Giulia, the Donzella Island and Gorino.

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Mappa GPX - Clicca per Scaricare

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Once back on the saddle, we go back along the SP38 and at the height of Taglio di Po, we resume the SS309 (then E55) towards Venice, arriving in Chioggia. This small town represents the essence of the Venetian lagoon par excellence, a perfect balance between land and water. Chioggia is an ancient fishing town that stands on several islets, connected to each other by bridges. Elegant palaces and squares, surrounded in turn by canals and walkways - adorned with colorful moored boats - give it a completely unique charm. We are in the southernmost part of the Venetian Lagoon, about 50 kilometers south of Venice.

Chioggia is definitely worth a walk for its atmosphere, where you can meet the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, Porta Garibaldi, the civic museum and the bell tower of Sant’Andrea. Last stop of our motorcycle tour on the Po Delta, but not the least important, is Ferrara. An ancient Estense heritage, Ferrara is a city "in between": it is not from Romagna but not even purely from Emilia.

It does not overlook the sea and does not stretch along the Via Emilia, but over time it has maintained that identity of a small town of the province Ferrara-based, where the cult of bicycles, good food and simplicity are the elements of living well. Among the city's symbols, the Estense Castle and the historic center with its monuments, such as Piazza Aristotea, the Cathedral and the Palazzo dei Diamanti stand out. Ferrara is the ideal place to stop for a few days, recharge the batteries and conclude our motorbike ride along the Po Delta (..and maybe plan some new stops along the nearby Via Emilia, stronghold of the Motor Valley).

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USEFUL ADVICE ON THE ROUTE BY MOTORCYCLE (PART 2) ALONG THE PO DELTA

Here is the second part of a route of 300 km total between lagoons, villages and provincial towns. As mentioned, here too you will meet provincial and state roads with two lanes, 100% flat and passable all year round. No difficulties along the route to be highlighted also in this second part, apart from the lighting in the area of ​​the mouth. Ferrara certainly deserves a 2/3 day visit, and is close to Cento and Modena where there are several museums of the Motor Valley.