Itinerario Castellania Oropa - Tappa 1 Da Acqui Terme a Ovada

An itinerary of 320 km that connects the hills of Monferrato to the Sanctuary of Oropa in the Biella area. Eight stages, all with a departure and arrival in areas served by the railway lines allowing you to take advantage of the Train + bike service.

A short route in the hills of Monferrato, but one which we can extend with pleasure to visit the many castles that overlook the hills. We start from Acqui Terme, where we have the opportunity to visit Villa Ottolenghi, the Paleologi Castle, which now houses the Archaeological Museum and the remains of a Roman aqueduct.

After the first few kilometers of gently rolling hills, the first opportunity to put ourselves to the test presents itself at the junction for Morsasco following the SP 456 up to Prasco and its 12th century castle, surrounded by hanging gardens (r/t 5.7 km) .

We climb towards the small village of Morsasco, dominated by the Castle which is accessed along a narrow road, and descend to Madonna Uvallare, where we can deviate from the original route to visit the Orsara Bormida Castle and its three towers from different eras (r/t 4.2 km).

The route continues in the direction of Trisobbio, one of the oldest villages of Monferrato, where the castle is well worth a visit. A gentle descent leads us to Carpeneto, which also has a Castle (not open to visitors). From here we follow the scenic Strada Costa up to Santo Stefano where we can make the third and final detour of the day to visit Cremolino Castle from where you can enjoy one of the most beautiful views of Alto Monferrato (r/t 4.8 km).

A long descent leads to Ovada to the welcoming magnificent Park of Villa Schella. If you have followed all the suggested detours, you would have covered 45.2 km.

Note: Pay attention at the exit from Acqui Terme in the first section of the provincial road del Turchino which is narrow. Just passed Trisobbio, at the junction for Carpeneto, Mountainbikers can cycle along the path of the Percorso Verde - ‘Green Route’, which starts from an equipped rest area.

Tourist info for this stop-off point: ATL Alexala - IAT Acqui Terme - IAT Ovada