Unique culture and landscapes: Monviso by E-Bike!

A unique and extraordinarily beautiful territory, this part of Piedmont, recognized by UNESCO as the Monviso Biosphere Reserve, extends to the valleys of Pellice, Po and Varaita, including the Saluzzo and Pinerolo piedmont plains.

Culture, traditions, food and wine specialties, outdoor activities: this area has it all.

As proof of the fact that the Occitan lands are perfect to discover by bike, the Municipality of Saluzzo and the Communauté del Guillestrois, a French town at the foot of Monviso, thanks to the European Alcotra fund (Italian-French cooperation), have created the VéloViso project, which puts cycle tourism "at the centre of the border".

The roads of this Alpine front cross the valleys of Infernotto, Po, Bronda, Varaita, Maira, Grana and Stura in Italy to those of Guillestrois, Ubaye, Embrunais and Queyras in France..       

The routes are different and suitable for everyone: from professionals to e-MTB enthusiasts, up to families and beginners who want to enjoy the beauty of the landscape.

A very beautiful itinerary, suitable for both beginners and anyone who wants to discover little-known corners of the lower Maira valley, is the Bassa Valle ring itinerary, a 31.7 km long route.

You start pedaling from the Ciciu del Villar nature reserve (644 m above sea level) where, once you have reached and passed the town of Villar San Costanzo, you take via Pramallè and continue along the pleasant asphalt road in the middle of the countryside until you reach the central square of Morra. After crossing the state road you will reach the dirt road that, along the cycle-pedestrian path, connects to the hamlet of Monastero. 

From here you continue along the agricultural track which, alternating natural and asphalted sections, goes up the Maira torrent, reaches the historic centre of Dronero and the hamlets of Tetti and Ponte Bedale.

A detour on the left, just before the cemetery, allows you to avoid the asphalt and reach Paschero di Cartignano where, in a short time, you descend to Ponte. After crossing the provincial road, you start pedaling uphill again, between the houses, reaching the pretty little church of San Bernardo. From here, taking the long half-coast, you connect numerous hamlets until you reach San Giuliano di Roccabruna. You then continue to follow secondary roads towards Gautero, Bruna, Tetto Rosso and Prarosso. A connection on a dirt road allows you to reach the sanctuary of Santa Maria Delibera where you keep left; once you reach the next crossroads you can opt for a short detour to the historic abbey of San Costanzo al Monte or for the direct return to Villar San Costanzo.

Another nice tour to consider is the 42 km long circular itinerary that runs between the middle and lower Po Valley and passes through the municipalities of Paesana, Sanfront, Rifreddo, Revello, Martiniana, Gambasca. It is marked by blue arrows with white writing, which indicate the recommended direction of travel: starting from Paesana, descending on the right orographic side of the Po River to Revello, returning on the opposite side.

For the more trained, however, we recommend the climb in the Valmala valley, the first major test of the Fausto Coppi circuit: 9.5 km of climbing up to the 1,380 m of the Sanctuary, with spectacular views of Monviso!