Home » Nature and Territory » Parco Regionale dei Gessi Bolognesi e Calanchi dell'Abbadessa

Directions

By Car

From the by-pass road of Bologna take the exit no. 12 and go towards the town. You will find yourself on a stretch of a three-lane fast road. When you reach the first roundabout go ahead and cross the via Emilia (if you turn left you will get to San Lazzaro), and at the second roundabout you will have on the right viale Roma (in the direction of Bologna) and on the left via Bellaria (in the direction of S. Lazzaro di Savena) which continues towards the Farneto with the name of Via Jussi.
The indications of all the meeting points will have exit 12 and the above-mentioned indications as a reference point.

To Gessi della Croara and Dolina della Spipola

• Parking area "Madonna dei Boschi" (for 35 cars)
  Loc. Campiano, country hamlet Rastignano in the Municipality of Pianoro
  You arrive here by taking SS "della Futa" (N.65). At the traffic lights of Rastignano turn to via Valleverde in direction Montecalvo. After the underway, turn left (via G. di Vittorio), and go ahead to Montecalvo in via Buozzi. After about 1,300 meters you will find the parking area concealed by an hedge. The access to the parking area is from via Madonna dei Boschi.
  ! Coaches should go along via Toscana - SS "della Futa" (N.65). If they come from Bologna, as soon as they get in Rastignano turn immediately left in via Buozzi!
  
  
• Parking area via Pilati (for 22 cars)
  (! to the meeting point "La Palazza" and the visits to the Cave)
  Country hamlet of Ponticella in the Municipality of S. Lazzaro di Savena
  From the second roundabout after the by-pass road exit, take viale Lungosavena; once you get to the roundabout Orsola Mazzini turn left (via Alberto Mario) to loc. Ponticella di San Lazzaro; cross the bridge on the river Savena and follow via del Colle (forth road on the right); after a series of bends, at the junction turn left and leave the main road. Park the car on the left of via Pilati.

To Gessi del Farneto and Gaibola

• "Casa Fantini" Park Center
  Country hamlet Farneto in the Municipality of S. Lazzaro di Savena
  From the second roundabout after the exit from the by-pass road, take on the left via Bellaria (which becomes after a few kilometers via Jussi - SP 36) and go ahead up to the locality "Farneto" (after a series of sharp bends you will see on the left a church). As soon as you get out the town of Farneto immediately after the stream Zena, you will find on the right a non-asphalt road leading to the wide parking area of the Park Center: you will find it on the opposite side of the road, just in front.

Yellow Sands between Gessi and Calanchi

• Parking area "Cà de Mandorli"
  Take SS "via Emilia" (N.9). Near Idice (country hamlet of San Lazzaro), at the roundabout turn in via Idice and follow the indications to Monterenzio and Passo della Raticosa. SP. 7 - "valle dell'Idice". At the next roundabout go straight on (always SP. 7): you will find the parking area at about 200 meters, on the right. The pedestrian path lies next the "mini-autodrome".

To Calanchi

• Ciagnano
  From the via Emilia, beyond the town of Ozzano, turn right (if you come from Bologna) in via Tolara di sopra, in the direction of Settefonti; after the faculty of veterinary, turn right once again (via del Florio) and then left in via del Pino; go along it for about 2,5 Km (after the crossroads with Via S. Cristoforo it becomes via del Poggio) until a small rest area on the right.
  
  
• S. Andrea
  From the Via Emilia, when you reach Ozzano, turn right (if you come from Bologna) in via Tolara di sopra (in the direction of Settefonti); after the faculty of veterinary, turn right once again (via del Florio) and then turn left in via S. Andrea (you cross a small bridge). At the end of the road there is the rest area, immediately after the church.
  
  
• Coop. Dulcamara
  From the via Emilia if you come from Bologna, after the town of Ozzano, turn right in via Tolara di sopra (in the direction of Settefonti), by going ahead on the same road for a few kilometers until you reach the agricultural firm situated before the locality "Settefonti", which is well-signalled by the indications.

By Bus

To Gessi della Croara and Dolina della Spipola

From Bologna town center:

• Line 27A direction Campo Baseball-Piazzale Atleti Azzurri
  Get off at the terminus, cross the stream Savena and go along the trail Cai 802 (climbing).
  
  
• Line 11B direction Ponticella
  Get off in Ponticella, stop "via Edera", take via Edera, turn in via Benassi and walk along it (climbing). You can eventually take the trail Cai 817 (difficult).

If you reach the Park with one of these public means of transport, you can return with one or the other bus lines.