For a lot of cyclists, riding in Italy means climbing Passio di Giau, Stelvio or Passio di Gavia, all in the Italian Alps.
And exactly that was my plan when I drove to Italy. But the weather was not exactly coorporating so when I woke up in the Dolomites (Northern Italian region) and saw rain, fog and cold, I packed my stuff and left.
My plan?
Driving to a place where it is sunny, mountainous , remote and very Italian.
Another four hours further South from the Alps, I found the place that had it all – the Northern part of the Appennine mountain range.
The terrain features everything – flat, rolling, hilly and some serious climbing – shallow or steep. And the best part – little traffic, great weather and well…amazing recovery food! Prosciutto, Parmesan cheese and Balsamic vinegar all come from this region.

If you find yourself in this region, check out these rides – from a tough day on the bike to lazy recovery rides: