The best traffic-free bike rides around Milano

The bridge over the Muzza Canal, located in Lavagna (a hamlet of the municipality of Comazzo in the province of Lodi), is a historical landmark for crossing this ancient artificial waterway. The Muzza is a branch of the Adda river, known for being one of the oldest canals in Europe. Lavagna Lodigiana is a small rural village immersed in the countryside that develops right next to the canal. The bridge area is frequented by cyclists and hikers who travel along the Muzza cycle path or the Muzza-Ponte di Lavagna route, enjoying the river landscape.

Any trail that winds through its vicinity is wonderful, a shame about the interruption between Zelo and Galgagnano of the path due to the hunting area, incidentally a beautiful place part of the ADDA sud Park but inexplicably in the hands of one or more private individuals who have made it their "hunting park" by fencing it all in. I happened to get inside by mistake, finding one of the numerous open gates and could no longer get out, finding the others closed, receiving a couple of shots in the air behind my back to make me understand that I was not welcome! A real shame because it interrupts the descent from Zelo towards Lodi along the Adda. Beyond the "hunting park" I believe that the passage along the river (state-owned area!!) SHOULD always be guaranteed without any ifs or buts!

always very fun to cycle on these dirt roads!!

The Muzza Canal is the oldest in Europe and just this year, its 800th anniversary was celebrated by the Municipality of Paullo in collaboration with the Pro Loco and other Municipalities. Its origin dates back to the year 1220, when Frederick II of Swabia, crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, issued an imperial edict that granted the people of Lodi the right to use the waters flowing within their territory. The current route, about 60 km long, receives the waters of the Adda River at Cassano d’Adda, at an altitude of 120 m above sea level, crosses the Lodi territory for about 40 km until near Castiglione d’Adda, at an altitude of 45 m above sea level, and here it releases them back into the Adda River. It has a regulated water regime, with a flow rate, depending on the season, of about 200 thousand liters of water per second; an initial width of 50 meters which reduces to a few meters at the end of its course and an average depth of 2 meters.

The Muzza canal (61 km long in total) is a branch of the Adda River and has recently celebrated its 800th anniversary, making it one of the oldest in Europe. Its name, with slight variations over the centuries, still recalls the Roman family Mutia who moved here in 90 BC, starting the first land reclamation works. Smaller watercourses branch off from the wide canal, winding through the countryside for a total length of about 1000 kilometers, mainly intended for agricultural irrigation. The surrounding landscape of countryside and farmhouses is evocative, with a succession of tree-lined rows and open fields. It is also very interesting from a naturalistic point of view as it attracts many aquatic birds that can be observed along the route.

Fondazione Prada is a cultural institution created by Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli in 1993. Believing that culture is useful and necessary, as well as attractive and engaging, Fondazione Prada offers an experimental and multidisciplinary program that includes temporary exhibitions, film screenings, conferences, and music and performance projects.

A long and very varied cycle path with diverse environments and points of interest along the route, where the initial part runs through Leonardo's Adda ecomuseum, places where Leonardo da Vinci designed and carried out several hydraulic experiments with the river. The cycle-pedestrian path winds alongside the Adda river between Cassano d’Adda and Lecco, mainly on wide dirt roads. During the route, we will have the opportunity to see monumental works and world heritage sites such as the Edison and Enel hydroelectric dams, Crespi d’Adda, the locks designed by Leonardo and his ferry, a revolutionary hydromechanical work for its time. In the final stretch, we will skirt the lakes of Olginate and Garlate and important natural areas, finally reaching the center of Lecco for a snack or a coffee.

Montevecchia is a charming village suspended between Milan, Brianza and the Lecco Prealps. It stands at an altitude of almost 500 meters and overlooks the almost 3000 hectares of the Montevecchia and Curone Valley Regional Park, where the famous Pyramids, mysterious rock formations, emerge.