Piedmont Barolo Wine Hills cycling - Italy

Transcription

1 S-CAPE TRAVEL - INFO@S-CAPETRAVEL.EU - TELEPHONE style : level : duration : comfort : period: code: E-BIKES CYCLING Selfguided 8 days Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct ITSB030 Piedmont Barolo Wine Hills cycling - Italy 8 days, price from 910 Stay in a great accommodation, well known spa town and ancient wine producing estates Many occasions for tasting the best Italian wines and champagnes Gourmet food a plenty Rolling vineyards, and great views of the hills and Alps Authentic country towns and villages: Alba, Acqui Terme, Casale Monferrato, Asti Friendly people and quiet roads Note: this itinerary will be modified next March 2019 after the revision of the tour Rolling green hills, with the white peaks of the Alps as a backdrop, crossing the varied cradle of slow food movement, through the famous vineyards of Gavi, Barolo and Barbaresco. Taste the most famous regional dish: the spicy Bagna Cauda, many fine chocolates, cheeses and tasty salami's and of course, the king of truffles, the famous white truffle of Alba. The lands of the Langhe and Monferrato, still to a great extend unknown to many, are unique places. Here you will find lots of good food, good wine and very special accommodation. This is a region for enjoyers! You start in the historic Spa town of Acqui Terme. Cycling through meadows and vineyards and meandering valleys topped with solid castles, you enter the area of the legendary Fausto Coppi. After crossing the fertile plain around Alessandria you reach the Monferrato hills. Here, remarkably enough, you hardly meet any tourists. The panoramas with the Alps in the background are magnificent. You'll visit charming, historical cities like Casale and Asti, both with labyrinths of cobbled streets and palazzo's, built from yellow Tuff stone. On the little squares, beneath the old arcades, you'll find inviting shady terraces. You continue on to Benevello and on the way you pass the hundred towered city of Alba, with Roman, Baroque and Gothic Architecture. This is also the centre of slow food and the famous Barolo and Barbaresco wines. From Benevello you make a lovely round tour, meandering over watersheds with astonishing views, through hazelnut woods and several chapels. Through the Bormida, valley, on a splendid little country lane, you'll cycle back to Acqui Terme, along the way there are several nice fortified villages and castles. One thing we promise: if you join, you will discover some of the regions finest restaurants. Route

2 Day 1 Ride from Acqui Terme to Gavi (59 km) You will cycle to Gavi through a delightful countryside of green, rolling hills. This is the region of the delicious white Gavi di Gavi wine and the homeland of the legendary Italian cyclist Fausto Coppi. You will overnight in a splendid wine estate-countryside hotel, with a fine and well know restaurant. Challenge: 59 km Day 2 Ride from Gavi to Vignale Monferrato (69 km) Today you will pedal from Gavi to Vignale Monferrato (66 km). In the morning you will descend to the lower and flat lands along the Tanaro river, a tributary of the river Po. After lunch you will continue your cycle route. This is the easiest part of the trip that will lead you along some small villages and old, massive castles. A lot of them are build from the red bricks which are characteristic of the region. At the end of the day you arrive in the wine capital of the area, Vignale Monferrato, where you will stay for two nights in a charming wine estate. Challenge: 69 km Day 3 Ride from Vignale Monferrato to Asti (50 km) Today you will make a nice and relaxed ride to the capital of the province: Asti (50 km; ascend 280m). Before you get there you will cycle through rolling Barbera wine hills passing picturesque villages like Fubine, Montemagno and Portacomaro. In the town of Asti, who's history goes back to the Neolithic age, you will overnight in a right in the historic centre. You can discover this so-called city of 100 towers right from the front door. So stroll along the Tower dei Comentini (13th century), the octagonal Torre de Regibus and Torre Troyana (13th century), as well as the ancient Rossa di San Secondo, built during the reign of the Roman Emperor Augustus. Besides those towers Asti has a lot more to see. Challenge: 50 km Day 4 Ride from Asti to Benevello (57 km) The tour from Asti to Benevello (55 km) brings you right in the heart of one of the most prestigious wine regions of Italy: the beautiful land of Barolo. You will pass the city of Alba, capital of the hilly area of the Langhe famous for his white truffles, hazelnuts, peaches and top class wines. Take your time to visit the old centre, with pre- Roman origins. Of the Roman city, which had a polygonal form, you can still see parts of fortified gate and remains of some edifices with marbles and mosaics. After Alba you still have to cycle 15 km through a more hilly area to Benevello. The last climb is worth the effort as here you will stay in a very comfortable and stylish accommodation, a historic farmhouse, which has been recently completely restored. Challenge: 57 km Day 5 Benevello round trip (23 km, 32 km) The real cyclists will enjoy this beautiful and also a bit strenuous round tour (44 km). Most of the route goes through the area of the so called Alte Langhe. Here, around old villages like Serravalle and Cissone, are grown one of the best quality of hazelnuts, used as the base for the famous Gianduia chocolate and in some of the delicious deserts for which the Cucina Piemontese is well-known. Turning back in a northerly direction you will follow nice, winding back roads along steep Nebbiolo and Barbera vineyards and when the skies are clear, you can have spectacular views on the Alps. Challenge: 23 km or 32 km Day 6 Ride from Benevello to Acqui Terme (54 km) Your last cycling route (52 km) leads you from Benevello back to Acqui Terme, the place where you started a week ago. It will be a nice and summary of all the beautiful things you have seen in the Piedmont wine hills. Enjoy this relaxed riding day as most of it is along the Bormida River, have a look around in the old villages of Cessole and Bubbio and the wonderful bridge at Monastero Bormida. Once you have arrived in Acqui Terme take your time to do some Italian shopping, because this town is really well supplied. Challenge: 54 km Day 7 Arrivederci Acqui Terme! The trip ad our services end after breakfast, unless you have booked another service with us.

3 Accommodation All accomodations are carefully selected because of their location, atmosphere and/or unique services. All rooms are ensuite. We choose comfortable 3*/4* hotels, farmhouses and B&Bs where all rooms have private en-suite bathroom. You can find below the standard hotels of this trip. If a hotel is fully booked, then we will book a similar one for you and inform you about the alternative booked. Extra overnight: You can book additional night(s) at any of the accommodations along the way. Hotel Roma Imperiale (Acqui Terme) Hotel Roma Imperiale is in Acquiterme and was born from a renovated nineteenth-century villa. The structure offers services such as an outdoor pool, a wellness center, a bar and restaurant, a garden and a sun terrace, and a lift to reach the rooms on the upper floors. Rooms are furnished in an elegant classic style and feature air conditioning, safe, TV, free Wi-Fi and marble floors. Breakfast buffet is good and varied, the staff very kind and helpful. Hotel l'ostelliere (Monterotondo di Gavi) Hotel l'ostelliere is set among vineyards and woods on the hills of Monterotondo di Gavi, a 45- minute drive from Genoa Airport. The structure has obtained its rooms from a farmhouse of the '700 and has a swimming pool, a large garden with picnic area, spa with Turkish bath, bar, restaurant and lift to reach the rooms on the upper floors. Rooms are furnished in a style that combines the elegant and the modern, and are equipped with TV, private bathroom, countryside views, air conditioning, safe, free Wi-Fi. Breakfast buffet is good and varied, the staff very kind and helpful. Agriturismo Cascina Alberta (Vignale Monferrato) The Cascina Alberta farmhouse is located 2km from Vignale Monferrato, in the Monferrato hills. The property is surrounded by countryside and has a common garden among the apartments, the possibility to buy and taste local wines, free Wi-Fi in public areas and a restaurant. Rooms are furnished in typical style with antique furniture and are equipped with private bathroom, TV, heating. Breakfast buffet is good and varied, the staff friendly and helpful Hotel Palio (Asti (AT) Hotel Palio is in the historic center of Asti, 150m from the train station. The property features a bar, free Wi-Fi and an ATM. Rooms are furnished in a classic style and have a private bathroom, heating and a view of the village. Breakfast buffet is good and varied, the staff is friendly and helpful. Relais Montemarino (Borgomale) In an oasis of charm, few kilometers far from Alba, Relais Montemarino was crafted out of the painstaking renovation of an old nineteenth-century farmhouse. It is surrounded by Langhe's hills and it offers rooms with rustic style. All of these are well-finished, clean and welcoming with free Wi-Fi, TV, telephone, private bathroom, heating and minibar. Breakfast is rich and various. Hotel Roma Imperiale (Acqui Terme) Hotel Roma Imperiale is in Acquiterme and was born from a renovated nineteenth-century villa. The structure offers services such as an outdoor pool, a wellness center, a bar and restaurant, a garden and a sun terrace, and a lift to reach the rooms on the upper floors. Rooms are furnished in an elegant classic style and feature air conditioning, safe, TV, free Wi-Fi and marble floors.

4 Breakfast buffet is good and varied, the staff very kind and helpful. Practical info You can start on any day of the week, subject to availability, between April and October. There are a lot of airports you can flight in to reach the beginning of this trip: Turin (TRN), Milan Malpensa (MXP) and Linate (LIN), Genoa (GOA).

5 RENTAL BIKES Hybrid Giant CRS gears: Deore 8 speed male frame size: M, L, XL - female frame size: S, M no suspensions brakes: Shimano V-Brake Merida Road Bike gears: Shimano Sora 9 speed frame size: S, M aluminium frame Blade Road Bike gears: Shimano Sora 9 speed frame size. L aluminium frame GPS tracks are available on request.

6 Included Included 7 Nights in selected B&Bs, hotels and agriturismo 7 Breakfasts Bike delivery to Acqui terme, theft insurance and collection from Acqui Terme Luggage transfer DAY 2 to DAY 7 Detailed information pack, route notes and maps with tracks on 24/7 telephone support Not included Travel insurance Touristic city taxes Travel to/from Acqui Terme Trains, busses or boats wherever necessary Lunches & Dinners Drinks and snacks Personal equipment Extras Additional nights before, during or after the walk Single Room Supplement(s) Solo Traveller Supplement Transfer from airport to Acqui Terme Transfer from Acqui Terme to airport