The name Aida recalls the opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi, and the route can indeed be compared to a dreamy musical movement accompanying you for 900 km, from Moncenisio to Trieste and from France to Istria. AIDA is actually a project by the Italian cycling association FIAB Onlus, included in the network of Bicitalia (FIAB national cycle route network) under the name BI20.
The AIDA cycle route is a cycling itinerary that crosses all the cities of Northern Italy (Turin, Vercelli, Novara, Milan, Brescia, Verona, Vicenza, Padua, Treviso, Venice, Pordenone and Udine).
The itinerary has been designed following FIAB principles, that is, by linking existing tracks rather than building new infrastructures, to meet the demand for both touristic cycling routes (connecting attractions) and local mobility (connecting towns).
The itinerary includes high-quality routes extending for more than 900 km, mainly flat and within already-established lanes. Indeed, many of the itinerary's paths are already in existence or under development, such as the Via Francigena in the Susa valley, Canale Cavour, Canale Villoresi, Naviglio Martesana, Alpe Adria, etc.
However, it is not only the quality of cycling that has been taken into consideration, but also the strong touristic and natural appeal of the regions and cities included in the itinerary, and which are already very well-attuned to it. Additionally, there is a desire to make the access points to cycle paths in densely populated cities more visible and safer, and to promote commuting, as well as residents' travel, by bicycle. The aim, therefore, is to expand the itineraries on offer for travelling along the WEST-EAST axis of Northern Italy, thereby linking the gateway to the west with the gateway to the east, via a unique route among the wonders of nature, art and landscapes.