Ancient memories of the Belbo and Tiglione Valleys

Tour description

Province: Asti
Suggested bicycle: racing bicycle, city bike
Difficulty: hard/ medium
Depart: Nizza Monferrato
End: Nizza Monferrato
Total distance: 46 km
Soil type: asphalt
Suggested period: from March to November

Highlights and tour details

This 45 km ring road runs along panoramic secondary roads, winding among the Asti hills, enchanted woods, vineyards and places full of memories.

From the railway station of Nizza Monferrato (mt140 above the sea level) you can visit the tourist centre at the Foro Boario, where you can find maps of the area. Then you have to leave the town, riding towards Incisa Scapaccino, that you will reach after five kilometers of level road. Before entering the village, you have to turn left and ride up to Cortiglione (mt 200). Once arrived, you have to turn left, riding on the road Vinchio, which runs through the Nature Reserve of the Sarmassa Valley; a very beautiful coastal road, along which you can admire the "garden of the aromatics", overlooking the Tiglione Valley on one side, and the Belbo Valley on the other. Then you arrive to Vinchio (km12, mt 230 above the sea level), site of the literary park dedicated to Davide Lajolo, where you have the opportunity to visit places that are linked to stories and characters of his books and also an interesting museum dedicated to him. After the cemetery of Vinchio, you have to turn left towards Noche, another place full of partisan stories, and here you turn right towards Castelnuovo Calcea, that you can reach riding along the ridge (km 17, mt240 above the sea level). From the square you have to turn left towards Toetto. Immediately after the locality (km 19), you don't have to ride down to the railway station of Agliano, but turn right toward the Dogliano region, in Toetto Street, to reach the locality of San Bernardino and then Agliano (km 22, mt 250). Then you have to ride back to San Bernardino and turn left. After a hundred metres you have to take the road that goes left to Molizzo. You pass under the church of Our Lady of Molizzo, suggestive panoramic point, and descend towards the plane of Tiglione, following the directions for the cycling path VT4. Once arrived on the plane (km 26), before the bridge over the Tiglione river, you have to turn right on the road Copetto, riding along the river until you reach Mombercelli (km 29). You turn left and then immediately right, before the bridge over the Tiglione river, towards Freto; after one Km you have to turn left towards Belveglio, that you can reach continuing riding amongst corn fields and rows of poplars (km 34, mt 140 m above the sea level). Ride back -now following the path VT5 - for two Km and then take the road Langa on the left. After about one km the road becomes steep and dirt (about a km long): here you should go on foot and will arrive to Vinchio (km38). You ride back to Noche and here and turn left towards Vaglio Serra, that you can reach riding along the coastline (km 42, m.240 above the sea level) and then descend easily for the last four Km that lead back to Nizza. The total distance is 46 km.

Where to sleep

Agriturismo Monsignorotti
Strada San Nicolao, 87 cap 14049 – Nizza Monferrato (Asti)
Tel. 0141 721100
Email: info@monsignorotti.it
Web: www.monsignorotti.it

Agriturismo Tenuta La Romana
Strada Canelli, 59 cap 14049 – Nizza Monferrato (Asti)
Tel. 0141 727521
Email: info@tenutalaromana.it
Web: www.tenutalaromana.it

Il Cuccio
Via Ronchi, 43/b cap 14047 – Mombercelli (Asti)
Tel. 380 7277050
Email: info@ilcuccio.it
Web: www.ilcuccio.it

I Tre Torchi
Via Moncucco, 27/b cap 14047 – Mombercelli (Asti)
Tel. 0141 1745102
Email: info@tretorchi.it
Web: www.tretorchi.it

Agriturismo La Mussia
Via Opessina, 4 cap 14040 – Castelnuovo Calcea (Asti)
Tel. 0141 957201
Email: info@lamussia.it
Web: www.lamussia.it