Descrizione

This tour takes you along the Piedmont bank of the Ticino river to discover the wonders of the Ticino-Piemonte Valley Natural Park, which together with its Lombard "alter ego" constitutes the largest protected river area in Europe as well as one of the biosphere reserves of the UNESCO's Man and Biosphere programme.


The itinerary begins at the Galliate train station and immediately takes you to the banks of the Ticino and its canals. It then continues through woods and heaths along the bends of the river, going up its course. Finally, just south of Lake Maggiore, it deviates inland and reaches the Borgomanero railway station, where it ends.


For about 70 kilometres, you will cycle on wide roads with a compact surface, in areas where the water flows slowly and abundantly through the thick vegetation. You will cross a mosaic of ecosystems and environments that are the natural habitat of many plant and animal species, with your gaze focused on the sharp crests of the Alpine arc that form the backdrop.


This itinerary, however, is much more than a journey dedicated to water and nature. With a few small detours from the main route, you will in fact be able to discover ancient villages, Sforza castles, country churches, Renaissance villas, and other masterpieces of art and architecture that give charm and uniqueness to the province of Novara.


To easily connect to the beginning and end of the route, in addition to the car, you can use the train as both Galliate and Borgomanero have a railway station. If you want to break up the itinerary, you can make a detour to reach the villages of Bellinzago Novarese, Oleggio, Marano Ticino, Varallo, Pombia and Borgo Ticino, also served by train.