Italy closed 6,500km of railway lines in the 20th century. Some rot. Some have been reborn as ciclovie (cycling paths) and greenways — passing through tunnels, over viaducts, along cliffs, and through landscapes that modern trains bypass on faster routes. The old railways went where the scenery was. The new highways go where the scenery isn't. These 10 paths follow the scenery.
1. Pista Ciclabile del Ponente Ligure (24km, Sanremo→San Lorenzo al Mare) — The most spectacular coastal cycling path in Italy. Built on the former coastal railway (abandoned when the new tunnel route opened 2001). Flat, paved, sea-level, with the Mediterranean 3m to your left for 24km. Bike rental at both ends (€15/day). Tunnels with sea views. No cars. 2. Ciclabile della Val Pusteria/Puster Valley (105km, Fortezza→Lienz, Austria) — Through the Dolomites along the former Südbahn railway. Gentle gradient, mountain views, Austrian-Italian border crossing, medieval castles. 2-3 days cycling.
3. Greenway del Lago di Como (10km, Colonno→Cadenabbia) — Walking path along Lake Como's western shore. Former mule tracks + abandoned road sections. Lake views, villa gardens, nobody around. 4. Ferrovia della Val di Fiemme (Trentino, 50km) — Abandoned narrow-gauge railway converted to cycling path through Alpine valley. Tunnels, wooden bridges, meadows, the Dolomites above. 5. Ciclovia dell'Acquedotto Pugliese (Puglia, 500km planned, ~240km open) — Following the route of the Apulian Aqueduct from Campania to the Salento tip. Through olive groves, trulli countryside, masserie (fortified farms). Flat. The most ambitious rail-trail project in southern Italy.
6. Ex Ferrovia Spoleto-Norcia (Umbria, 51km) — Through the Valnerina gorge — tunnels (bring a headlamp), viaducts over ravines, mountain scenery. Partly cyclable, partly hiking. 7. Trenino Verde route (Sardinia, multiple sections) — Sardinia's narrow-gauge tourist railways still operate on some sections; abandoned sections are becoming hiking paths through the interior wilderness. 8. Ciclabile del Mincio (Mantova→Peschiera, 43km) — Along the Mincio river from Mantova to Lake Garda. Flat, scenic, connects 2 destinations. 9. Ferrovia Circumetnea walking sections (Sicily) — The narrow-gauge railway around Etna has abandoned stretches that pass through lava fields and almond groves. 10. Via Verde dei Trabocchi (Abruzzo, 42km) — Coastal rail trail along the Abruzzo Adriatic coast, passing the trabocchi (traditional fishing platforms on stilts). Flat, paved, sea views, trabocco restaurants for lunch stops.