So that you can enjoy these delicacies without a guilty conscience, you can burn off calories by bike. No problem with the constant ups and downs. However, there is still no well-developed cycle path infrastructure. Favourite territory is the hilly country around Alba. Sweaty, but attractive and varied, the routes lead to picturesque villages and past countless castles and monasteries.
Character:
After Sicily, Piedmont is the largest region in Italy in terms of area. We are focussing here on the Langhe around Alba. And this demands a good basic level of fitness from the touring cyclist for countless metres in altitude in a hilly landscape. The route is mainly travelled on quiet side roads. However, there are hardly any signposted cycle paths to be found.
Tour tips:
1) Panorama tour 63 km, 900 metres in altitude, difficult: Alba - Diano d'Alba - Montelupo - Monforte d'Alba - Barolo - La Morra - Gallo - Alba.
#The tour in our tour portal#
2) Cortemilia tour 66 km, 1100 m, difficult: Cortemilia - Torre Bormida - Cravanzana - Feisoglio - Niella Belbo - Bossolasco - Serravalle - Benevello -Castino - Cortemilia.
#The tour in our tour portal#
3) Barbaresco tour 34 km, 700 metres in altitude, medium: Barbaresco - Neive - Mango - Trezzo Tinella - Treiso - Barbaresco
#The tour in our tour portal#
Best time to travel:
Mid-May to the end of September
Journey:
There are long-distance train connections from Germany to Turin, possibly with a change of trains. Don't forget your international cycle card! Call the railway's cycling hotline on 01805/99 66 33 (14 ct/min. from landlines, max. 42 ct/min. from mobile phones).
Bike service:
Addresses of bike hire shops, workshops and bike guides can be found at http://www.torinopiupiemonte.com
Bike hotels:
A selection of 45 cycle-friendly hostels, including bed & breakfasts and agriturismos, at http://www.torinopiupiemonte.com
Organiser:
Ciclotours http://www.ciclotours.com, Eurocycle Cycling & Travelling http://www.radreisen.at, Pedalo http://www.pedalo.com, Rotalis http://www.rotalis.de
All-inclusive:
7 days "Classic Tour Piemont" (255 km on 6 stages) costs from/to Turin with 6x overnight stays, luggage transport etc. from 725 euros (Ciclotours).
Maps/literature:
For the Alba region, we recommend the map "I Sentieri dell' alta Langha" from Comunita Montana 1:50,000, available locally for approx. 8 euros.
Information (general):
APT Locale delle Langhe e del Roero, Piazza Risorgimento, 2, I-12051 Alba, Tel. 0039-0173/35833 (info turismo), Fax 0039-0173/363878,
Internet:
http://www.langheroero.it (Tour tips for cyclists and racing cyclists), http://www.veits.org (private Piedmont tour description by Dr Gerhard Veit), http://www.torinopiupiemonte.com (Cycling information), http://www.piemonteitalia.eu (Piedmont in general)
