The best walks and hikes around Vimodrone

The Naviglio Martesana in Cernusco sul Naviglio represents one of the most evocative, elegant, and historically rich stretches of the entire Renaissance canal designed in the 15th century. In this area, the Martesana Cycle Path leaves the Milanese outskirts to open up into the plain, passing by splendid 18th-century noble villas (the "ville di delizia"), centuries-old parks, and historic views that retain the charm of the ancient Duchy of Milan.

The Naviglio della Martesana (also called Naviglio Piccolo) is an artificial canal about 38 kilometers long that connects Milan to the Adda River. Designed in the 15th century under the guidance of Francesco Sforza and completed under Ludovico il Moro, it also saw the engineering contribution of Leonardo da Vinci. Today it is no longer navigable, but its ancient service road (the Alzaia) has become one of Lombardy's most beloved cycle paths.

The Naviglio Martesana cycle path (also called Naviglio Piccolo) is a cycle-pedestrian route of about 36 kilometers that connects the center of Milan with the Adda river, reaching up to Trezzo sull'Adda or Cassano d'Adda. Completely flat and asphalted, it is an ideal itinerary for families, urban cyclists, and cycle tourists of all levels.

The course of the Naviglio Martesana in Cernusco is also a Park. It extends across the entire width of the territory of Cernusco sul Naviglio, from the border with Cassina de'Pecchi to that with Vimodrone.

The Martesana cycle path starts from Cassina de' Pomm at the corner of via Melchiorre Gioia and extends for 30 km passing through the municipalities of Cologno Monzese, Vimodrone, Cernusco sul Naviglio, Cassina dei Pecchi, Bussero, Gorgonzola, Gessate, Inzago and Cassano d'Adda.

Easy cycle path suitable for everyone!

The Naviglio della Martesana is perhaps the least known among the ancient artificial canals that connect Milan to the great Lombard rivers. It originates from the Adda river in Concesa, a hamlet of Trezzo d’Adda, crosses the sub-region of Martesana, northeast of the provincial capital, and once in the city, it goes underground beneath via Melchiorre Gioia, near Cassina de’ Pomm. It measures approximately 38 km in length, with a width varying from 9 to 18 meters. However, in the past, the Naviglio della Martesana continued in the open air all the way to the center, where a system of locks centered on the Conca dell’Incoronata connected it to the short Naviglio di S. Marco and the urban network of the Navigli. The lock was inaugurated in 1496, utilizing lock gates designed by Leonardo da Vinci. The canal had been opened in 1471, under Francesco Sforza. By connecting it to the other Navigli, Leonardo laid the foundations for realizing a dream of the Sforza family: to travel by water from the Ticino river, and therefore from Lake Maggiore, to the Adda river.

From Milan (Mi) to Trezzo sull’Adda (Mi). Lush vegetation and surprising architecture make this cycle path a pleasant opportunity to spend a Sunday cycling. The elevation gain is non-existent, the only difficulty could be the length, but this can easily be remedied thanks to the metro which, up to Gessate, closely follows the cycle path.