Help Needed Hiking/Walking in the Piedmont

[Pauline]

We leave for Italy in less than a week and I am all set with walking/hiking information for our 12 nights in Liguria (Santa Margherita Ligure 2 nights, Levanto 10 nights) but can't find as much information for the Piedmont. I found a Sunflower Guide for Liguria but cannot find any hiking guides in English for the Piedmont.

I received some good advice in my planning thread, did some research and came up with this information (below). I have detailed descriptions of 2 hikes and brief descriptions of 2 more. We only need about 4 hikes because we won't be hiking every day. We will do some drives and explore some towns.

@Amy recommended Wikiloc but I don't find the info I need on it. It is not easy to figure out where the hikes are and there are a lot of hikes listed. Some hikes are described in Italian, some have no descriptions. They have an app which I put on my phone and it may be more useful when we are there.

My Piedmont Notes

We are staying in the Monferrato. (The zone is Monferrato-Langhe-Roero. Monferrato being the gentler foothills to the east. Langhe, the steeper, more dramatic slopes to the west. Roero is very steep, with lime cliffs.)

Stop at the Asti Tourist Office the day we arrive to get walking/hiking information.

Ask about Strade del Vino, or Wine Roads – in Barolo (Strada del Barolo e dei Grandi Vini delle Langhe), the Torinese (Strada Reale dei Vini Torinesi), Astigiano and Monferrato (Strada del Vino Monferrato ASTIgiano), and Alto Monferrato (Strada dei Vini dell’Alto Monferrato).

Brief descriptions of Vineyard Hikes (more details needed):
http://www.winepassitaly.it/index.p...entire-pizza-hiking-piemonte-3-vineyard-walks

Two hikes with enough information online (description and map) to do the hike.

Vineyard Walk - Medieval hilltop towns of Barolo (southwest of Alba)
http://www.winepassitaly.it/index.p...lo/itinerary/medieval-hilltop-towns-of-barolo
Written by Diana Zahuranec
Good description and a map. Doesn't say how long the hike is.

Nature Walk Ottiglio – Moleto – Ottiglio, trek route n° 746
http://www.monferratodelights.com/blog/ottiglio-moleto-trekking/
Written by Monica Marescalchi and Tommaso Zavattaro
Length - 7,3 km (1,5 hours of steady walk, 2,5 hours with breaks)

Interesting hikes that I found online but with only brief descriptions. I will look for more information.

Susa Valley: Juniper Trail (Sentiero del Ginepro), in the Natural Reserve of the Ravine of Foresto
Begin: Foresto (south of Turin, north of Cuneo)
Total climb: 250 m / Time: 2 ½ hours
From: https://uponatimeitaly.wordpress.com/2016/07/09/hiking-in-piedmont/

Torinese (on the southeastern side of the Superga): Baldissero Torinese and Pavarolo
Begin: Baldissero Torinese (east of Turin, north of Chieri)
Total climb: 250 m / Time: 2 ½ hours
From: https://uponatimeitaly.wordpress.com/2016/07/09/hiking-in-piedmont/

Anyone have some hikes to recommend or resources with good information?

 

[Giulia da Urbino]

Hi Pauline! I searched the info before reading that you were the one asking
This guy has a lot of nice info online, but it's in Italian... https://sentieridautore.it/category...talia-settentrionale/piemonte-e-valle-daosta/

 

[Giulia da Urbino]

Nothing to do with hiking, but in Levanto you may want to check this artist out... http://www.renzobighetti.com/

 

[Ian Sutton]

Hi Pauline
I have a map in front of me: 3: Percorsi tra monferrato e Lange Astigiana. It goes as far east as Bistagno, Montabone and Terzo.

I believe it's sold in a pack with an Illustrated booklet of 24 routes 'Destinazione Outdoor' with directions/things to see in three languages (including English)

Map 2 covers the equivalent area north of Asti

As long as these hit the areas you plan to go, then worth looking for them in the Asti tourist office.

Regards
Ian

 

[RichN]

Hi Pauline,
For walks in the Langhe, the one you have linked to on WinePass would be a great place to start... as a guide to the length, the stretch from Novello to Barolo takes about 40 minutes, and the bit from Barolo to Monforte is about 1.5 to 2 hours. If you wanted to take your time, you could easily spend a very enjoyable full day doing the loop, with lunch in one of the villages.

There is a great map of the vineyard paths in this area which you will be able to buy in the tourist offices, it's 5 or 6 euros I think. It has the paths that you would need to follow for the above loop, plus many, many others! Let me know if you need more details and I will dig it out and let you have the name.

Also, there are 5 shorter walks around Novello (I Sentieri di Novello), you can get a map in the Novello Cantina Comunale) and 7 nice ones around La Morra... the map and details (in Italian) are here: http://www.lamorraturismo.it/sentieri/
And you can pick up an English version in the La Morra tourist office.

I hope that helps!
Richard

 

[joe]

Hi Pauline - I wouldn't write off Wikiloc so fast, it's actually a very useful site. True, most is in Italian for your purposes, but Google Translate has become very good, and the descriptions of the trails are not a difficult challenge for it. You have some good filters - length of trip, difficulty, loop or not, etc. - but what is really good is the fact that you have an aerial map (Google Satellite view), plus, in most cases, photos of critical sections of the trail taken by the hiker who uploaded the trail, and a written description of these. Quite a reliable tool for navigation.

If you open the "World map" tab at the top of the page, you can zoom into any small area in Piemonte that interests you, with a list of relevant trails that appear on the left of the page. So no problem to focus on any area.

Sorry I don't have a hike to recommend for you - we usually don't go out for more than a lengthy stroll - but here's an example of a trail in an area we really like and have at least walked a bit there through the forest paths and farm roads :
https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/monastero-bormida-cassinasco-anello-17755496
Notice how much information is posted about the trail.

I think I mentioned this in your previous thread, but you have good topographical maps available of the area, with the major trails marked on them (the following an example):
http://istitutogeograficocentrale.i...a-asti-a-casale-monferrato-9788896455203.html

Have a great trip - Piemonte and Liguria are a great combination.

 

[Ian Sutton]

Hi Pauline,
...the bit from Barolo to Monforte is about 1.5 to 2 hours. If you wanted to take your time, you could easily spend a very enjoyable full day doing the loop, with lunch in one of the villages.

There is a great map of the vineyard paths in this area which you will be able to buy in the tourist offices, it's 5 or 6 euros I think. It has the paths that you would need to follow for the above loop, plus many, many others!

Yes, this is the one we've bought twice and given away both to people that were heading over there. At that price it's no issue to buy another. The routes well marked on the map, so directions hardly needed.

I'd recommend the Barolo-Monforte walk as it includes a good section through hilly woodland at the Barolo end, which gives nice variety to the usual (very pleasant) vineyard strolling.

 

[Pauline]

Thanks everyone! I will get the map when we are there, plus with the info I found and you gave me here, I have a few good hikes already planned.

Joe, I will spend some time with Wikiloc. I was feeling a bit rushed yesterday when trying to figure it out. I'll start using it in Liguria and compare it with the hikes in the Sunflower guide.

 

[Sharon J]

Thanks for all the great info Pauline. We stayed at the Borgo Vallone near Olmo Gentile, (Piemonte) many years ago, and took a day trip to Portofino one day. Fell in love with Santa Margherita as we passed through. We said at the time, that we would love to stay in the area. You may have given us the nudge to do so.

 

[Pauline]

Thanks for all the great info Pauline. We stayed at the Borgo Vallone near Olmo Gentile, (Piemonte) many years ago, and took a day trip to Portofino one day. Fell in love with Santa Margherita as we passed through. We said at the time, that we would love to stay in the area. You may have given us the nudge to do so.

I know you love the Amalfi Coast, as do I. This area is almost as beautiful and is easier to access. The autostrada zips you along the coast, there is a train, some of the towns are flat (Levanto is flat). They have ferries here, like in the Amalfi Coast. I will report back about the Cinque Terre towns, but they are supposed to be very crowded these days.