The best road cycling routes around Trezzo Sull'Adda

The section of the Naviglio Martesana cycle path between Bellinzago Lombardo and Inzago is a flat, entirely asphalted stretch without technical difficulties, ideal for cycle tourists of all levels. This specific rural fragment runs for about 3-4 kilometers along the Martesana canal in a protected area.

Ponte San Michele (also known as Ponte di Paderno or Ponte Röthlisberger) is a masterpiece of industrial archaeology from the late 19th century, located in Lombardy, which spans a deep gorge of the Adda river, connecting the municipalities of Paderno d'Adda (Lecco) and Calusco d'Adda (Bergamo). It was inaugurated in 1889. It was calculated by the Swiss engineer Jules Röthlisberger and built by the Società Nazionale Officine di Savigliano. It has an overall length of 266 meters and rises a good 85 meters above the river level. It is a single-arch bridge entirely in iron, riveted and without welds, built in the same historical period as the Eiffel Tower.

The Angelo Bertini Hydroelectric Power Plant is a gem of industrial archaeology located in Porto d'Adda (a hamlet of Cornate d'Adda, Monza and Brianza). Inaugurated on September 28, 1898, by the Edison group, it holds an extraordinary historical record: at the time of its construction, it was the most powerful hydroelectric power plant in Europe and the second in the world, surpassed only by that of Niagara Falls. Its original purpose was fundamental for the modernization of Milan, as it had to supply the energy necessary for the electrification of Milan's tram network, allowing for the definitive replacement of horse-drawn trams.

The Locks of Bellinzago Lombardo are an important historical hydraulic engineering work located along the course of the Naviglio della Martesana. They represent one of the best-known stopping and points of interest for cyclists and hikers who frequent the canal bank. These historical hydraulic systems (locks or sluices) originally served to regulate the flow of water and allow commercial navigation between the Adda and Milan.

Located on the left bank of the Adda river, the municipality of Canonica d’Adda stands. Its history, intertwined with the ancient Pons Aureoli, tells us of a famous battle. It was right here in the 3rd century AD that two emperors clashed: Gallienus challenged and killed Mario Acilio Aureolo, who was buried nearby. Near the tomb, a road and a village sprang up. In this place arose the parish church of San Giovanni Evangelista, none other than one of the oldest in Lombardy. It was the importance this canonry assumed over time that gave the settlement its name. Walking along the botanical path or along the bridge, it is difficult not to be captivated by the beauty of the Adda river landscape, which offers us natural views of great charm. It is no coincidence that its beauty enchanted the great Leonardo da Vinci, who was a guest of the Melzi family in the very nearby municipality of Vaprio d’Adda in the early 1500s.

Naviglio della Martesana is perhaps the least known of the ancient artificial canals connecting Milan to the great Lombard rivers. It originates from the Adda in Concesa, a hamlet of Trezzo d’Adda, crosses the Martesana sub-region, northeast of the provincial capital, and once in the city, it plunges underground beneath Via Melchiorre Gioia, at the height of Cassina de’ Pomm. It measures approximately 38 km in length, with a width varying from 9 to 18 meters. However, once upon a time, the Naviglio della Martesana continued in the open air all the way to the center, where a lock system 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 Sforzas: to travel by water from the Ticino, and therefore from Lake Maggiore, all the way to the Adda.

The Naviglio della Martesana, initially known as Naviglio Piccolo, is one of the Milanese canals that connects Milan with the course of the Adda river through the municipalities of Martesana. Commissioned in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, it was used for irrigating the countryside but also represented the ambitious project of connecting Milan with Lake Como and thus with the Alps and Ticino. The Naviglio della Martesana is a place rich in history and beauty, a heritage for everyone that, however, today is still little known and protected. Along the Naviglio runs a rather busy cycle path, which allows you to admire the landscape and cultural beauties, such as the rich flora, fauna, or the numerous historic villas, including the Renaissance Villa Melzi d’Eril in Vaprio d’Adda.

A valuable 17th-century monument of Lombard Baroque, but also a bulwark that rises in a panoramic position overlooking the Adda Valley in Imbersago, in the province of Lecco. A perfect blend of religious devotion, commemoration of a mystical past, and immersion in lush nature, a symbol of vitality and timeless beauty. The history of the Sanctuary of Imbersago is rooted in a past of apparitions and miraculous events. It all began on May 9, 1617, when three shepherds who were grazing their flock in the woods saw a celestial figure among dazzling lights and harmonious melodies on the three large chestnut trees that stood around the Sorgente del Lupo (so named for the animals that roamed there). At that point, Pietro, one of the children, with great wonder, spotted and picked up a ripe hedgehog, an unlikely event in the middle of spring. And for all the people, this represented the prodigious sign that the Blessed Virgin wished to be honored in that very place. From here, from this miraculous vision, began the devotion to the Madonna del Bosco, also known as Madonna del Riccio, referring precisely to the miracle just narrated, or Madonna dei Miracoli di Imbersago.