The park of the Po and the hills of Monferrato

Tour description

Province: Alessandria
Suggested bicycle: city bike , mountain bike
Difficulty: medium
Depart: Casale Monferrato (stazione FS)
End: Casale Monferrato (stazione FS)
Total distance: 65 km
Soil type: asphalt and dirt road
Suggested period: from April to October

Highlights and tour details

A ring of 65 km through the rice fields of the Po plain and the first hills of Monferrato, on secondary roads and easy dirt roads.

Leaving the train station in Casale Monferrato, take the opposite lane and continue through the streets of the centre where you can see the Synagogue, the Cathedral, the Civic Tower, the Theatre and the Castle.
Continuing along the road that coasts the Po river, follow the directions to the railway station and, past the second rail tunnel, you have to follow the road to Frassineto Po, where you can get in touch with poplar plantations and vast fields of corn, wheat and rice. Past Frassineto Po, you have to continue towards Ticineto and Valmacca and, after crossing the Rotaldo stream for two times, you arrive to Valmacca, where you can admire the medieval palace in the central square, where there are the municipality offices. Once left Valmacca, you have to continue to Rivalba, a village similar to a Roman "mansio" (a stopping place on a Roman road) and, past the Rotaldo stream for the last time and the village of Bozzole, you will arrive at a crossroads where you can admire the medieval castle of Pomaro . After a short visit to the village and the castle, you have to follow the signs to Monte Valenza, where you will arrive after having faced a steep but short climb.

Here you can drink at the fountain and admire the view on the Monferrato hills and the Po plain below. Going towards Valenza and past the railway overpass, you have to turn right where, near the Thermal baths di Monte Valenza, children (and not only) can admire the animals of the small zoo. After having faced the climbs and descents that separate the Thermal Baths from Valenza, you arrive to town of gold, where you can ride through the streets of the ancient village, having a look at the windows of the many goldsmith shops and admiring the view from the balcony at the bottom of Viale Padova, where, on a clear day, you can almost see Pavia.
Now you can go back to Casale by train or via another bicycle route. Once you've left Valenza and taken to the county road to S. Salvatore, shortly after the coastal locality of Valparolo, you have to turn right onto a country road that leads to Fosseto, where you can visit the gardens of Villa Genova.
After the visit and past the locality of Villabella di Valenza, you ride towards Giarole and then go to Occimiano: rice paddies and herons dominate this part of the road. After the highway overpass you have to take a dirt road on the left, leading to the street of the stream Lanza which brings you back to Casale Monferrato, on a dirt road of approximately 10 kilometres. Riding straight to the roundabout of the Sports hall, you can visit on the left, the Military Citadel of Casale and then proceed towards the roundabout of Corso Indipendenza. You have to take the first exit and, passing under the railway overpass, you return to the train station to finish the tour. About 65 kilometers in all.

Where to sleep

Agriturismo Barbalando
Fraz. Torcello Regione Regina, 135 cap 15033 – Casale Monferrato (Alessandria)
Tel. 0142 408241
Email: info@barbalando.it
Web: www.barbalando.it

Cantine Valpane
Cascina Valpane, 10/1 cap 15039 – Ozzano Monferrato (Alessandria)
Tel. 0142 486713
Email: info@cantinevalpane.com
Web: www.cantinevalpane.com

Agriturismo Villa Perona
Strada Perona, 1 Regione Castellaro cap 15034 – Cella Monte (Alessandria)
Tel. 0142 488280
Email: info@villaperona.it
Web: www.villaperona.it

Terra Vallone S.S. Agricola
Via Lu, 7 cap 15030 – Conzano (Alessandria)
Tel. 0142 925735
Email: info@terravallone.com
Web: www.terravallone.com

Anticoborgo
Via Evasio Rossi, 25 cap 15049 – Vignale Monferrato (Alessandria)
Tel. 0142 933156
Email: info@anticoborgo-bb.it
Web: www.anticoborgo-bb.it