Ferrara by Bike: Cycling Routes Through Italy’s Cycling Capital

Ferrara has more bicycles per capita than any other city in Italy. This is not a tourist statistic — it is how the city actually moves. The historic centre is car-free, the streets are wide and flat, and the 9-kilometre circuit of intact Renaissance city walls is open to cyclists for its entire length. When the train from Bologna arrives at Ferrara station, the first thing you notice is the bicycle park outside: hundreds of them, unlocked, leaning against anything fixed. Locals cycle to work, to the market, to the castle, to friends’ houses. A visitor on a hired bike fits immediately into the rhythm of the city in a way that is impossible on foot or by taxi.

Hiring a Bike in Ferrara

Several hire points operate within a few minutes of the station. The city also runs a municipal bike share scheme with docking stations across the centre. For a day visitor, the simplest option is one of the hire shops on Via Rampari di San Paolo or immediately outside the station exit — they stock city bikes, hybrid bikes, and e-bikes, and most are open from around 8.30am. Expect to pay €8–15 for a standard city bike for the day, €20–30 for an e-bike. No reservation needed for individual bikes; groups of six or more should call ahead. Bring a passport or ID for the deposit.

The bike hire shops near the station also rent tandems and cargo bikes, and most can advise on routes and provide a free printed map. Helmets are available but not legally required for adults in Italy; accept one if offered. Locks are usually provided — use them even in the city centre.

Route 1: The Historic Centre (6 km, 2–3 hours)

The best introduction to Ferrara by bike, and the route that makes the most of the car-free streets. Start at the station and ride directly to the Castello Estense along Viale Cavour — a wide boulevard that brings you to the castle in under 10 minutes. Lock up at the moat and walk the circuit of the exterior before continuing.

From the castle, take Corso Ercole I d’Este north. This is the spine of the Addizione Erculea — the 1492 Renaissance expansion that doubled the city’s size overnight. The street is arrow-straight, wide, lined with 15th-century palaces, and completely flat. It ends at the Palazzo dei Diamanti, whose diamond-faceted marble façade is best seen from a bike, at pace, as the light shifts across the 8,500 carved blocks. Stop here.

Ride back south along Corso Rossetti, the parallel avenue, into the medieval quarter. The streets here are narrower — Via delle Volte is the most atmospheric, a medieval lane running east-west with arched passages connecting the buildings above the street. Continue to Piazza Trento e Trieste and the Cathedral, then through the Jewish Ghetto on Via Mazzini. The ghetto streets are narrow enough that cycling feels intimate rather than fast — slow down, look at the buildings. End at Piazza Ariostea, the largest open square in the city, where Ferraresi come to sit in the evenings.

Route 2: The City Walls Circuit (9 km, 1.5 hours)

Ferrara’s Renaissance city walls are among the best preserved in Italy — nine kilometres of intact brick ramparts that completely encircle the historic centre. The path along the top has been converted into a linear park, shaded by old trees, with views over the rooftops on one side and the flat Po plain on the other. The surface is well-maintained gravel and compact earth, suitable for any city bike. No cars, no traffic lights, no stops except where you want to stop.

The full circuit takes 45 minutes to an hour at a relaxed pace, or half that if you ride without stopping. The most dramatic stretch is the northern section — the Addizione Erculea walls, built in the 1490s when the city expanded, broader and more imposing than the older southern sections. The walls pass through several bastions and gates; the Porta degli Angeli in the north and Porta Paola in the south are the most architecturally significant. A bench at the top of each bastion looks out over the surrounding countryside.

Access points to the walls are signposted throughout the centre. The most convenient starting point from the station is via Porta Reno to the south. The circuit is one-way in sections during peak times — follow the direction signs.

Route 3: Ferrara to the Po Delta (40–55 km, half or full day)

For a longer ride, the Po Delta cycle route heads northeast from Ferrara through the wetlands of the Po Delta Park — one of the most biodiverse landscapes in Italy and a UNESCO site in its own right. The route is flat, well-signed, and almost entirely on quiet roads or dedicated paths through the lagoons and reed beds.

The most practical option for a day trip: cycle from Ferrara to Comacchio (about 40 km), the canal town known as the “Little Venice” of the Po Delta and historically famous for its eel fishing. The route passes through the Valle di Comacchio — a brackish lagoon where flamingos, herons, and cormorants are visible year-round, with the largest concentrations in spring and autumn. Eat lunch in Comacchio, then take the return train to Ferrara (about 40 minutes, bikes permitted in the cycle carriage with a small supplement).

E-bikes make this route accessible to cyclists who would find 40 km of flat riding tiring rather than enjoyable. Several hire shops in Ferrara offer e-bikes specifically for the Po Delta route and can provide GPS tracks or printed maps.

Practical Notes

Terrain: Ferrara and the surrounding Po plain are flat. There are no hills anywhere on Routes 1 or 2, and the Po Delta route involves no elevation gain worth mentioning. Anyone who can ride a bike can cycle in Ferrara.

Traffic: The historic centre is car-free. Some streets in the outer city have cycle lanes separated from traffic; the walls circuit has no motor vehicles at all. The road to Comacchio passes through small villages and is quiet outside summer weekends.

Timing: The city centre rides work at any time of day. The Po Delta route is best started before 9am to reach Comacchio for lunch and leave time to explore before the return train. In July and August, start early to avoid the heat; the Po plain at midday in August is not comfortable on a bike.

Locking up: Bike theft exists in Ferrara despite the cycling culture. Use the lock provided and, where possible, lock to a fixed point rather than another bike.

For what to see on foot between rides, see the Ferrara visitor’s guide. For where to eat after the ride, see the Ferrara food guide. For the Po Delta destination at the end of Route 3, see the Comacchio guide. For a full day itinerary combining the city and the delta, see the Ferrara day trip guide. To explore the city on foot instead of by bike, see the Ferrara walking route. For a guided option that includes a cycling section, see our Ferrara guided tour.