A journey through the pine forests of Emilia-Romagna

From the center of Ravenna you can reach in 10 minutes the hamlet of Classe and continue for 4 kilometers to the I Maggio Park, one of the access points to the Pineta di Classe. 

Along the way we suggest a stop at the Ancient Port and the wonderful early Christian Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe, one of the eight monuments that make up the UNESCO site of the nearby city of Ravenna.

Once at the edge of the pine forest, turn left to reach the wetter areas where the Bevano river and the two courses of the Bevanella and Acquara flow parallel. Turn left again, following the border of the park, for the watchtower over the oases of Ortazzo and Ortazzino, your reference stop.

These are the areas with the greatest environmental diversity of the entire park where you will have the opportunity to see many birds up close, including the flamingos that live in the pine forest. Keep following the path through the ancient pines and you will find yourself back at the starting point. A short distance away you can stop at the Village of the Cicogne, an important project of repopulation of the White Stork.

From the I Maggio Park, you decide whether on foot or by bicycle, you can go to discover the Oak Trees of Dante along a 4-kilometer loop path that will take you through the entire Pinewood. 

Following the directions scattered along the route you will immediately reach the Bridge over the Gravel Pit and, shortly after, you can turn right to find in rapid succession one of the majestic pines of the pine forest and the centuries-old oaks linked to the memory of Dante.

For the second day to discover the green lungs of Romagna, take the Adriatic Highway in a southerly direction and in 15 minutes you will find yourself at the entrance of the Pineta di Cervia. 

Depending on your arrival point in the town you will have several access points to the Pine forest, but we suggest the one in via Stazzone to have the opportunity, before going through the pines, to take a tour of the Butterfly House on Viale Jelenia Gora. 

It is a delightful botanical garden in which live, in a tropical climate 365 days a year, more than 60 species of butterflies arriving from all over the world.

At the entrance of the Pineta di Cervia you will find practical bulletin boards that illustrate the available routes, the areas of greatest interest of this green oasis and the equipped areas to enjoy a stop or do some physical activity in the small outdoor gyms available to visitors. Here too you have the opportunity to enter the pine forest on foot or by bicycle. Until the last century this enchanted place was much more extensive, but two world wars and an overly aggressive agricultural policy have brought to us only 200 hectares that today are protected and protected. You will realize from your entrance the love and attention that the municipal administration has reserved for this pine forest for decades.

The dense paths will make you explore this green paradise far and wide from sunrise to sunset. You can read a book under the centuries-old plants and stop at the outdoor classroom to learn information and curiosities about the pine forest and the rich ecosystem it hosts. 

To experience the adrenaline in contact with nature and observe the ancient pines from a unique point of view, the adventure park CerviAvventura rises right inside the Pine forest. You will have the opportunity to climb on walkways connected between the pines and spend a few hours of fun in full respect of this place.