NATION: ITALY
REGION: NORTH WEST PIEDMONT
DURATION: 5 DAYS / 4 NIGHTS
LEVEL: EASY CYCLING
ROUTE: ASPHALTED ROADS / WHITE ROADS. NON-CHALLENGING RISES ASSISTED BY E-BIKE.
A different way to visit beautiful areas of Piedmont, the Canavese and the Biellese, divided by the Serra, the longest morainic hill in Europe, but united by a particular landscape, a tantalizing gastronomy! A tour designed especially for those who like to ride but are not too fit. The routes are designed with stops to admire the landscape, visit special places, have lunch and taste the local wines. The group, up to a maximum of eight people, will allow the bicycle tour guide maximum assistance.
At the end of each day, the well deserved rest at the always different and special structures but all of excellent level and comfort!
THE TOUR, DAY BY DAY:
First day: arrival and relaxation at Villa Matilde.
Welcome to Piedmont! The tour begins with your arrival, with own means, in the Canavese, in the splendid Relais Villa Matilde in Romano Canavese (if you prefer a personalized service Bugella Welcome will organize the transfers with comfortable cars or minibus with driver).
Upon arrival you will have plenty of time to enjoy a welcome cocktail at the edge of the beautiful pool, enjoy the good weather swimming and sunbathing and then relax in one of the cozy bedrooms, all different from each other. The day will end with dinner at the Relais Restaurant, Le Scuderie, then rest.
Meals: dinner and welcome cocktail.
Places: Romano Canavese.
Accommodation: Relais Villa Matilde in Romano Canavese
RELAIS VILLA MATILDE
In a quiet island in the heart of Canavese, in an ancient village at the foot of the Alps, among rolling hills on the border with Val d’Aosta and only 35 km from Turin, stands the Relais Villa Matilde, a patrician villa of 1700, immersed in a lush private park with ancient trees and picturesque corners. A timeless atmosphere for an unforgettable stay and an ideal setting to spend wonderful holidays of relaxation, culture, wellness and great Piedmontese cuisine.
www.sinahotels.com/ita/hotel_villa_matilde/index.html
Second day: castles, Lake Viverone, a Romanesque church and the most beautiful Golf Club in Italy!
After breakfast the meeting with your personal cycling guide will show you the program with all the information about the route, the places you will visit, the safety notions and how to make the most of your e-bikes.
Your pedal assisted bicycles will wait for you in the Relais garage, with the battery charged, to start your adventure.
The path will wind flat to reach the wonderful Castello di Masino. Overlooking the vast Canavese plain and immersed in an extensive romantic park, the Castle stands on a hill in front of the long morainic hill of the Serra di Ivrea (which you will cover in the following days). Get to know its interiors and history on a guided tour and enjoy a drink at the spectacular rooftop bar.
Next stop: the lake of Viverone and the appetizing lunch, based on lake fish, on the terrace of the Hotel Marina. Rest and refreshment continue the ride along quiet roads or dirt roads to the lovely Lake of Bertignano, then Zimone and then Magnano, where you will visit the beautiful Romanesque church of San Secondo, immersed in the quiet of the surrounding nature.
Arrival at the Golf Hotel Le Betulle where you will be welcomed in the hotel’s “English style” atmosphere, inside the most beautiful Golf Club of Italy, for a tasting of local wines, dinner and then overnight.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Places: Romano Canavese, Masino Castle, Lake Viverone, Zimone, Magnano.
Route: 46 km / 28.5 miles, difference in altitude: D + 820m, D- 540m.
Accommodation: Golf Hotel Le Betulle in Magnano
GOLF HOTEL LE BETULLE
The Golf Hotel Le Betulle offers hospitality in every detail: 17 rooms equipped with every comfort, each with private terrace and overlooking the green of the hole 9. The Club House, built in the style of the best English tradition, hosts the renowned restaurant with typical Piedmontese and Mediterranean cuisine, the bar, the television room and the game room.
It is inside the Le Betulle Golf Club, recognized in 2013 as the best golf club in Italy and in the first three positions for many years now.
www.golfhotellebetulle.it/index.php
Third day: the Serra, the longest morainic hill in Europe, a SPA in the mountains and Oropa, the UNESCO World Heritage Sanctuary!
Serra’s day of ascent.
Helped by pedal assistance, the difference in height will not be too demanding even for the less trained! For almost 20 km, you will cross the hill, in easy off-road, inside wonderful woods, to get to the village of Andrate and then continuing, always slightly uphill, until the break of relaxation and refreshment at the Bossola di Netro. This hotel restaurant has a particularity to offer: a small and intimate SPA where you can relax in a Jacuzzi or sauna and taste the typical dishes, enjoying a splendid view of the Biellese, the Serra, the Po Valley and the Monviso in the background! We will then proceed on the Tracciolino, the panoramic road that connects the two most important sanctuaries of the Biella area: Graglia and Oropa. But before arriving at your destination, a must is the Trappa di Sordevolo, a real surprise in the mountains of Biella.Finally you will arrive at the Sanctuary of Oropa and its Sacro Monte. You will dine in the lovely Betty restaurant, nestled among the trees and sleep in a unique, mystical atmosphere with all the comforts of a modern hotel. Quiet, relaxation, mysticism, nature and history will accompany you in your stay.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Places: Magnano, Andrate, La Bossola di Netro, Trappa, Oropa.
Route: 42 km / 26 miles, difference in altitude: D + 1270m, D- 670m.
Accommodation: Sanctuary of Oropa.
OROPA SANCTUARY
The sanctuary of Oropa, the largest Marian Sanctuary on the Alps and among the first in Europe in terms of importance, will welcome you in all its majesty and beauty. His silences, his clear sky, the crackling of the water that flows from the central fountain of the “Burnell”, its green fields, and its mountains that surround it like a warm embrace will remain in your memory. You will visit, within the sanctuary complex, the Treasures Museum and the Royal Apartment, the collection of the ex-voto, the Sacred Mount, the Seismic Weather Observatory and the Library.
www.santuariodioropa.it
Fourth day: between Valle di Oropa and Valle Cervo, the most mysterious village in Italy and the natural oasis born from the dream of Ermenegildo Zegna!
After breakfast in one of the historic bars of the Sanctuary, a specialized tourist guide will accompany you to discover the Sanctuary, the Royal Apartments that housed the family of the Savoy, the kings of Italy, when visiting these places, the gallery of votive offerings , of the treasure museum.Return to the bicycle and follow the winding road to a tunnel carved into the rock, which overlooks the adjacent Valle Cervo. There is organized a guided tour of Rosazza, full of architectural symbols and fascinating mysteries! In fact, this small town owes its fame to Federico Rosazza, Senator of the Kingdom of Italy, who, as Grand Master of the Masonry of Biella, held his secret meetings here.After lunch you will experience the last effort, the ascent to the Oasi Zegna and the well-deserved rest at the Hotel Bucaneve in Bielmonte, stopping to visit the stone village of Sassaia along the way.For those who still have energy, can still ride for another 10 km in the wild Valle Sessera, spectacular natural kingdom of nature!For all, a gourmet dinner prepared by the chef Giacomo will be ready with excellent wines. Following the overnight stay in one of the rooms with a cozy mountain style.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, gourmet dinner.
Places: Oropa, Rosazza, Bocchetto Sessera, Oasi Zegna.
Route: 35 km / 22 miles, difference in altitude: D + 1330m, D- 1000m. (45 km / 28 miles if the Valle Sessera tour)
Accommodation: Hotel Bucaneve in Bielmonte
HOTEL BUCANEVE
The hotel, which with its shape and its external cladding in fir wood blends well with the surrounding mountain environment, was designed in 1963 by the great architect Luigi Vietti, who built many chalets in Cortina.
Located in a splendid sunny and panoramic position at 1,500 meters above sea level, with a romantic terrace that embraces the Po plain up to Monviso, it is less than 200 meters from the ski slopes of Bielmonte.
It offers its guests a pleasant experience in the elegance of the Alpine tradition, between furnishings of the time and new additions.
http://www.bucaneve.eu/
Fifth day: Casa Zegna, medieval villages, the wine cellars and wines of Alto Piemonte … and a piece of savannah in the Biella area!
In your visit to the Biella area you can not ignore two important aspects of Biella’s life: the textile and wine traditions. In an extraordinary context that connects the factory with the surrounding mountain environment, Casa Zegna tells the story of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group, a global leader in luxury clothing. The visit allows you to discover the stylistic, technological and social values of the company, so representative of the Biellese textile industry.At the end, always downhill and in complete relaxation, you will then cross quiet valleys and landscapes, the medieval village of Masserano and finally reach the tasting stop in one of the two well-known wineries. In Lessona, in Tenute Sella, from 1671 owned by the family of bankers from Biella, Marco will let you taste the wines based on Nebbiolo vine (Lessona, Bramaterra, Coste del Sesia) accompanied by tasty samples of local specialties. Then you will continue towards the Castle of Castellengo with its Centovigne wines: there you will discover together with Magda and Alessandro the magnificent construction that, from the hill on which it is perched, dominates the plain below, giving shoulders to the mountains and the hills of Biella.Leaving Castellengo, the landscape will change completely because you will cross the Baragge Nature Reserve. The dense moorland, alternating with vast expanses of prairie, makes it look similar to the African savannah, with the Biella Alps in the background. After the visit of the Ricetto di Candelo, one of the best preserved medieval villages in Italy, the journey will turn towards the end: a minibus will take you back to Villa Matilde from where you left 4 days before for the return home!
Meals: breakfast, tastings / light lunch.
Places: Oasi Zegna, Trivero, Casa Zegna, Masserano, Lessona, Castellengo, Baraggia, Candelo, Biella.
Route: 58 km / 22 miles, difference in altitude: D + 620m, D- 1720m.
INCLUDED:
We have included all those services to make your experience as pleasant, relaxing and enjoyable as possible:
• 4 overnight stays, reinforced breakfasts and dinners in 4-star or similar facilities.
• Lunches / light lunches as scheduled.
• Welcome cocktail at the hotel.
• 4 days full of pedal assisted bicycle rental
• 4 full days accompanying service Cycling Guide.
• Baggage transfer service and half support.
• Transfer service by minibus from last stop to hotel first stop for pick up your vehicles.
• Guided tours as scheduled
• Reinforced tastings as scheduled.
• Use of the SPA service in the Villa Matilde Resort, the sauna service at the Golf Hotel le Betulle and SPA at the Hotel Bucaneve.
• Up to 4 hours of SPA use, the Bossola
NOT INCLUDED:
• Extra, tips for guides, which is not indicated in “included”
INFORMATION AND BOOKING:
+39 335 5744184
