Do you forego your healthy running routine when away from home? No more! Here are the most beautiful parks for running, even if you’re out of town.


People away on trips for several days are often inclined to neglect daily routines, including healthier ones such as eating well at lunch breaks and exercising. Most of the time, sportsmen and women give up working out every day when they could easily continue: for a good run, in particular, a change of clothes and a good pair of sneakers are all you need.

Here is a list of the best parks in Italian business cities where you can indulge in a moment to yourself.

Where to run in Milan

For some of us, working out every day is a real necessity. Gym workouts are good for you, as is indulging in a nice run in Milan in one of its many parks, the city’s green lung.

Andare a correre anche in trasferta - Milano Parco Sempione credits B Plessi via Flickr

© B Plessi via Flickr

One of the classic destinations is the Indro Montanelli park in Milan, better known as the Porta Venezia Gardens. This park offers several routes, with the possibility of skirting the outer perimeter or, alternatively, the pond.

Milan’s parks most popular with runners include the Parco Ravizza, Parco Sempione, and the CityLife park developed around the Piazza Tre Torri skyscrapers, the new symbol of Milan’s skyline – all excellent locations for an evening or daytime run and stretch of the muscles.

A surefire way to beat stress, indulge in a healthy lunch break and travel by train to work in comfort, taking advantage of high-speed train rides to Milano Centrale.

Where to run in Bologna

Undoubtedly, daily exercise is great, of course, without exaggerating. If you are in Bologna for work, the perfect setting for a relaxed jog is the Giardini Margherita in Bologna, just outside the city walls and an ideal place to exercise among tree-lined avenues, groves of oaks, and exotic trees.

Bologna in un giorno Giardini Margherita

© Mapio

One of Bologna’s most popular parks is Parco della Montagnola, a public garden located in the historic downtown. The ideal solution for those arriving by train at Bologna’s “Centrale”, you can spot its monumental entrance (the Pincio steps) already from the station.

Rome: where to run

In addition to being healthy, a run in Rome is delightfully scenic, especially when set in a magical place like the Villa Borghese pond, where you can feast your eyes on postcard-perfect scenery and an Ionic-style temple overlooking the water.

Visitare Roma Villa Borghese credits Atilla2008

© Atilla2008 via Flickr

Rome’s has many parks suitable for people who enjoy going for a run: it is no coincidence that Rome is one of the cities with the most public green spaces in Europe. Among the most beautiful are the Caffarella and Villa Ada parks, with various routes to choose from depending on the time (and energy) you have. With more than 70 high-speed train connections to Rome, you won’t run out of time because you can travel swiftly and arrive on time.

Running on the beach in Naples

If you are passing through Naples – perhaps because you are engaged in a meeting at Kenzo Tange’s Centro Direzionale – you can treat yourself to a very special experience: a jog on the sand! At any time of year, indulging in a beach run on the Via Caracciolo waterfront is the perfect way to recharge.

Andare a correre anche in trasferta - mare Napoli credits Giulio via Flickr

© Giulio via Flickr

What about a woodland sports break in the Royal Capodimonte Forrest? Note that the Royal Palace Park itself is a UNESCO heritage site. If your meeting winds up ahead of schedule, would you like to stay behind and relax or return home early? Also in this case, the watchword is relaxation: with Italo, flexibility is guaranteed if you travel to Naples by train.

Turin’s most beautiful jogging parks

Some sport every day – especially in the open air – wishful thinking? Not if you choose the parks Turin can offer, wonderful locations for keeping fit also when away from home.

An excellent resource for train travelers to Turin is the Parco del Valentino, located near the central Porta Nuova train station. One of the city’s symbols, the green oasis stretches along the bank of the Po River and also houses the famous Medieval Village. Do not miss the Parco Ruffinipark, a green space for runners also equipped with a certified track.

 

For the cover picture: © Alessandro Perazzoli via Flickr