A loop tour in the Bergamasque plain, a bike-hiking route where you can admire some of the most significant Visconti castles and fortresses in the area and where you will have the opportunity to ride inside the protected oases of two still active fountains.
The route does not include high traffic roads, you will instead ride along paved and unpaved country roads, where all around you you will have only cultivated fields, farmsteads, small churches, votive shrines, greenhouses and ditches. And of course an absolute quite.
It is recommended that you ride this tour with “fat-wheel” bicycles as you will be pedaling on long dirt stretches.
The vast spaces of the plains, the greenery and the wide views where the eye runs far away pointing to the horizon, are a true relaxation for the mind. The remote and uninhabited areas are a peace to be enjoyed while pedaling where the silence is interrupted only by the hum of our bicycle wheels.
In the summertime, with any luck, you can see various local birds including grey herons, blackcaps, honey buzzards and many others.
Route mapped by Valleserianabike.
The starting point for the tour is the Romano di Lombardia station: head for the nearby town center but, before entering the historic center, take a short tour of the town walls and then turn into the central, bustling town street where you will also notice the parish of Santa Maria Assunta. At the end of the street, turn left to reach the Rocca Viscontea fortress and then take the road to the right towards Bariano (via Balilla).
At the traffic circle go left along the bicycle path that runs parallel to the western ring road between fields and houses, just before the second traffic circle take the underpass that takes you onto a small country road, passes by the small church of San Giuseppe and then continues along a well-maintained cattle track that takes you toward the Serio River avoiding the busy SP101.
Reaching the Serio River bike path go right and before the underpass right again to join the provincial road for a short distance, necessary to cross the river.
Just beyond the bridge cross the road to take you to the shaded bike path that leads to the first houses of Bariano where you will still ride on the road.
When you reach the stop sign cross the road and go right taking one more stretch of bicycle path. When you reach the railroad track go left and cross the tracks via the underpass; go straight on and then left along the bicycle path that quickly takes you to the village of Morengo.
At the traffic circle you can turn away from the main road by going right and then left along Via Papa Giovanni XXIII. You are here in a quiet residential area, after 500 meters go left, cross the road and continue on the new section of bicycle path that runs parallel to SP159. You now re-enter the road , pass a traffic circle and then turn right onto a pleasant dirt road in the middle of fields.
After 500 meters go left onto a country road and reach the Pagazzano sports area. At the stop sign go right and then left on the other side of the canal, and just before the mill you enter the town center on the right on a section of bicycle path that takes you to the Visconti castle of Pagazzano.
From Castle Square continue straight along the bicycle path that goes around the fortified walls passing through a park. From this point you can catch a very impressive glimpse: the castle walls reflected in the waters of the moat.
Exit the park, go left and then right to take a small road in the straight fields to the overpass where you turn right and pedal parallel to the railroad track until you reach the gate to the Brancaleone Fountain.
Passing through the gate, you will pedal inside the nature area; cross bridges over the spring and exit north to continue the tour toward Brignano.
At the farmstead turn right over the small bridge and when you reach the crossroads go left and pedal again on the SP129 for about 1km until almost to the village of Vidalengo where you go right on the dirt road via Caravaggio. At the crossroads go right and at the edge of the farmstead go left where in a few dozen meters you arrive at the first houses of Brignano.
Go straight ahead and you will arrive in front of the Visconti palace, a beautiful noble residence in Baroque style. If you wish, you can visit that part of the palace used as municipal offices and therefore open to the public.
Go around the perimeter of the building clockwise, skirting the drawbridge and the irrigation ditch until you come to a small square with a traffic circle where you take the second exit onto via Campino. At the stop sign turn left onto Via Spirano, which leads out of the village of Brignano. Cross the road SP129 and continue on this road in the middle of fields until you reach Spirano.
Keeping the main road on the section of bicycle path and enter the center of Spirano on via Gramsci, turn right and you will arrive in the central square that you cross to continue on via Saronni and via Misericordia passing by what remains of the ancient Rocca di Spirano
Leave the provincial road by pedaling on via Riserva: you will again find yourself pedaling in the tranquility of the countryside amidst expanses of greenhouses on a wide dirt road. At the end of the greenhouses, the road bends to the left, but you take the stretch of bicycle path on the right that leads you to a traffic circle where you will take the first exit heading towards Morengo.
Pedal on the road for 1 km and, when you reach the village of Morengo, turn into the road on the left by the church, continue straight and head toward the cemetery, an area where you will take the dirt road on the right.
After 200 meters turn right and enter the bicycle and nature path of Bariano, Past the wooded area at the junction go left , go through the underpass and go left again: you are again on the Serio bridge made a few hours earlier, go down to the right, under the bridges keep right again, and shortly after turn right again. Go along the long road in the industrial area to the traffic circle, which you will cross using the underpass until you come to the traffic circle at Via Balilla and here go left, returning to the starting point of the tour: in Romano di Lombardia.
