From the end of the main square in San Bovo, take the dirt road that heads steeply to Rio Grazie (the last bit is paved, keep to the left). Across from you, an old Castino Nunnery can still be seen, although it is now a private farmhouse, and up to the right, on the crest of the hill, you can also see the San Martino Monastery (now a farm for livestock). A Benedictine Monastery also awaits in town. Cross the river in a U-shaped curve (with a sign for San Bovo) and follow the dirt road to the left into the Belbo Valley. Cross the state highway onto Via Molina and cross the bridge over the Belbo river. Head up the paved road for about a kilometre to an old fortified house, complete with sentry box and medieval archway with a coat of arms. From here, take the steep, paved mule track to the right to the village of Castino, passing through fields and hazelnut groves. (The track will cross the asphalt a couple of times, but runs as straight as you would expect from a mule track.)
These mule tracks, that run along the crests of the valleys and then run steep and narrow from one crest to another, are the hidden, but perhaps most significant, signs of the nearly one thousand years of merchants coming and going along the old salt roads from the sea to the Po Valley, which made these now-remote areas the centre of the world. In this regard, the Belbo Valley (like the Bormida Valleys and Uzzone Valley) provides endless opportunity to discover the glorious past and fading memories of a romantic age that would have made poets like Foscolo, Petöfi and Byron very happy. Take a moment to enjoy the view out across the wildest parts of the Langhe where isolated houses are rare and villages wind around the hilltops, closed within stone walls and forbidding fortalices. All around you are fragrant woods full of chestnut, linden, acacia and elm trees, and with willows along the valleys and oaks on the hilltops, which, as legend has it, await the thunderbolts from the gods that are what make the magical white truffles here.
Turn right and head back up to Cravanzana along the same paved road through hazelnut groves, that are cared for like rose gardens, until you get to the intersection outside of town. Go through this intersection into this medieval village with its Viale dei Caduti and the majestic silhouette of the castle dominating from above. Cravanzana is considered one of the hazelnut capitals of the world and is specialized in the “Tonda e Gentile delle Langhe” (now officially protected as the Nocciola Piemonte IGP), one of the best in the world. Around here, you will certainly have no trouble finding this local treat in pastries and other artisan delicacies. Wander through the narrow roadways of the village and then come out to the south on Via Ferrera. Continue to the right along the road from before. At the first crossroads, head uphill into the woods to the left until you get to a farmhouse. Keep to the right, and at the next farmhouse cross the farmyard and continue along the cart track that crosses a paved road and continues on up to the crest of the hill to Case Codin. Here, head to the left on the paved road briefly until Cascina Cattivo. From here, continue again on the dirt road along the Bricco del Sole crest until just about the roundabout of the village of Feisoglio, the third of the Alta Valle Belbo and famous for its mushrooms, where the Church of San Lorenzo is definitely worth a visit.
After about 2 km of paved road, turn left. After a brief descent, turn immediately to the right, nearly in a U-shape, to return to the stone track. Continue through the fields to the panoramic crest of the hill. Keep going until the next paved section and continue straight to the “Spianata dell’Amore” (Clearing of Love), which isn’t a place for young lovers to park, but rather refers to a medieval legend of the brave knight Leone (you’re actually standing on Monte Leone), who fell in love with the local farm girl, and this was the place where their love blossomed. Of course, this does point to the talent of medieval explores to find beauty! This clearing is open to the elements on all sides and features a giant bench designed by Chris Bangle, where you can take in the full 360° of this marvelous landscape. The Church of San Giovanni, made of austere Langhe stone, awaits you at the next crossroads. From here, head down the slight incline to the village of Niella Belbo.
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Bar to Bar - Barbaresco - Barolo
The Bar to Bar itinerary, a 7-stage circuit from Barbaresco to Barolo and back again (you can choose the direction), crosses a significant chunk of the Langhe Roero territory along low-traffic roads and trails, through woods and an array of uniquely beautiful landscapes.
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Bar to Bar - Leg 1: Alba - Treiso
Start walkingfrom the historical centre of Alba in the direction of the Langhe’s Barbaresco wine region and get ready to experience one-of-a-kind landscapes immersed in the wonders of nature as you ride along the headland trails of vineyards and up to medieval villages perched on hilltops.
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Bar to Bar - Leg 1A: Cascina Ambrogio (Neive) - Neive
Variant of the Leg Alba Treiso, with a brief detour from the original path, discovering a different way to reach the centre of Neive.
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Bar to Bar - Leg 2: Treiso - San Bovo (Castino)
From Treiso, in the heart of the Barbaresco wine region, this leg takes you to San Bovo di Castino as you witness the shift in the landscape from the endless blanket of vineyards to woods, hazelnut groves and rock formations.
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Bar to Bar - Leg 2A: Cascina Alberta (Treiso) - San Rocco Seno d'Elvio (Alba)
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Bar to Bar - Leg 4: Niella Belbo - Roddino
Giunti in cresta, lo spartiacque ci offre la vista della lontana Valle Tanaro, circondata ormai dalle Alpi Marittime e della romantica torre di Murazzano. Imbocchiamo a destra la statale per prendere quindi subito a sinistra il bivio per il Parco Safari e, poco dopo, superato il colmo, trovare a destra la nostra via di cresta di erba e ciottoli che corre sul crinale del Passo della Bossola.
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Bar to Bar - Leg 5: Roddino - Monforte d'Alba
From Roddino, a village on the border between the Alta Langa and the Barolo wine region, you will now return to the winemaking heart of the area as you walk among some of the most famous of the Barolo crus and stop to visit amazing villages that are simply overflowing with history.
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Bar to Bar - Leg 5A: Serralunga d'Alba - Monforte d'Alba
Variant of the Leg 5, from Serralunga to Monforte by way of Castiglione Falletto for a somewhat different point of view over the landscape that surrounds you.
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Bar to Bar - Leg 6: Monforte d'Alba - Verduno
Another leg immersed in the Barolo wine region through the most famous, most sought-after crus among wine lovers around the world, as you take in this sea of vineyards from a privileged vantage point in La Morra.
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Bar to Bar - Leg 6A: Case Nuove - Novello
Variant of the Leg 6, a brief detour towards Novello to enjoy a view of the Alps in the distance.
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Bar to Bar - Leg 7: Verduno - Alba
For the last leg of this long circuit throughout the Langhe region, the itinerary takes you from Verduno, where a stop at its Belvedere vista point, looking out over Roddi, is certainly worth your time, and on to Alba, the “City of a Hundred Towers.
Find out morePLEASE NOTE: Responsibility for the maintenance and practicability of the various trails lies with the municipalities where the routes are located. The Tourist Board, therefore, cannot be held responsible for any inefficiencies, but is willingly available to collect your reports so that they can be forwarded to the authorities concerned.
