22 #Piemontestories From the Alps to the sea, passing through the hills on foot and on two wheels

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Dreamlike landscapes, plays of light between majestic peaks, cobalt-coloured lakes or gentle iridescent hills. Open spaces where you can breathe freely and more deeply and where routes encounter different landscapes and uncontaminated environments. Piedmont is a veritable treasure trove of ideas for outdoor activities and encounters with nature, good food, cultural heritage and traditions: from Monte Rosa to the ridges of Ossola and Biella, from the high peaks of Turin to those of Cuneo with Monviso and as far as the hills of the Alta Langa and the Apennines, where you can already smell the sea, is a world of easy excursions or more challenging treks, designed for two wheels.

In particular, the cross-border area between Piedmont and France is packed with proposals that combine sport with all-round experiences. Whether you travel on foot or on two wheels along the Via Francigena in the Susa Valley, you can identify with the pilgrims who travelled to Rome or Santiago de Compostela in medieval times, in the territory of the legendary 14th-century "republic" of Escarton or at the foot of the Sacra di San Michele, the symbolic monument of the Piedmont region. A more demanding but fascinating tour is the Tour of the 5 refuges in the Orsiera-Rocciavrè Park, which crosses three valleys on the doorstep of Turin.  

Between the latter province and that of Vercelli, the Sentiero delle Pietre Bianche (White Stones Trail) follows a main itinerary composed of interconnected rings crossing 11 municipalities: by bike or e-bike it is possible to book a guided tour among lakes, canals, castles and the hills of Erbaluce wine. Decidedly challenging, and therefore for expert hikers, is the ring trek of the Giro di Viso ascending to Buco di Viso, amidst harsh and severe landscapes and the daring rock faces of Monviso, which has several refuges built around the highest peak of the Cottian Alps as support points. Still in the Cuneo area, the Via del Sale is one of the classics for expert bikers: a route with spectacular views and environments which, along one of its variants, goes from Limone to Ventimiglia in the footsteps of the anchovy traders who travelled between Liguria and Piedmont.

In the Alta Langa, a beautiful route suitable for everyone, especially if on an e-bike, is the "Tour del gusto" (Taste Tour), a ring immersed in nature that can also be done as a trek: the route, a few kilometres from Alba, is part of the GTL-Grande Traversata delle Langhe and passes through places famous above all for cheese, hazelnuts, castles and authentic villages where time seems to have stood still.

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