Castel Del Rio between Ponte Alidosi and chestnut forests
Accommodation in Castel Del Rio
Castel Del Rio combines architectural history with ancient forests and chestnut groves. Alongside its historical heritage, there are museums, paths through the surrounding landscape and chestnuts as a regional product.
Bridge, palazzo and medieval traces
Ponte Alidosi has a humpback design with a single arch spanning 42 metres and a rise of 19 metres. Obizzo Alidosi commissioned it in 1499.
Palazzo Alidosi has also stood at the heart of Castel Del Rio for more than 450 years. An older trace leads to Castellaccio, the preserved ruins of the Alidosi family's first residence. It was built at the beginning of the 13th century on the hill west of the town. The documented family history therefore extends from the early residence to the palazzo in the centre.
Museums with a regional and historical focus
The Museo del Castagno is located in Palazzo Alidosi. Its educational tour ranges from the world of the chestnut tree to its relationship with people. Old tools and soil samples are also on display.
The Museo della Guerra e della Linea Gotica preserves a collection of around 1,600 items. These include weapons, uniforms, insignia, documents and photographs. The Chiesa di Valmaggiore has a distinctive glass roof, which was preserved through restoration work in 1997.
Chestnut forests, hiking and cycling
The higher slopes around Castel Del Rio are home to ancient forests and chestnut groves. The lush chestnut forests are particularly suitable for trekking, cycling tours and mountain biking.
CAI hiking trail 707 passes through Castel Del Rio, is 8.7 kilometres long and was designated as passable in April 2026. The length of 8.7 kilometres provides a specific sense of scale for planning the timing of a hike. For a day of hiking, personal pace and breaks remain individual factors regardless of the number of kilometres. The 8.7 kilometres therefore do not establish a fixed walking time. The time available can also shape the rhythm of the day without changing the route length of the CAI trail. Anyone planning to walk the trail should keep these variables separate from the specific distance. For cycle tourists, the Ciclovia del Santerno runs from Mordano to the ancient forests and chestnut groves of Castel Del Rio. The two routes differ in both their course and their means of travel.
Chestnuts and local festival traditions
The regional cuisine can be experienced in Castel Del Rio particularly through the Marrone di Castel Del Rio IGP. The chestnut is medium-sized to large and has white, crisp flesh with a pleasantly sweet flavour. The Sagra del Marrone also takes place every Sunday in October. The Feste Rinascimentali and the Sagra del Marrone fall within different periods of the year.
Castel Del Rio also hosts the Feste Rinascimentali between June and July.
More places for planning your trip: Crespellano, Calcara, Tossignano, Budrio, Pioppe, Baragazza, San Vincenzo and Minerbio.
For the overarching travel overview: Bologna.
