Itinerario Bike fiume Agogna

FOLLOWING THE AGOGNA RIVER
Along the river’s waters among farms and historical villas

FOLLOWING THE AGOGNA RIVER – The Agogna river flows between Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore. From its source among the rocks of the mountain called Mottarone, its waters are a feature of the territory, first cleaving lonely, wild woods then gathering its tributaries until it reaches the Novara plain and runs into the River Po. Its course – one of the longest in Piedmont, about 140 km – skirts Lake Orta and over the course of time has determined its history, driving the development of villages and benefitting agriculture and handcrafts for decades.

We will accompany the river during this itinerary, cycling along its banks to discover the villages, farms and many places of worship that have sprung up along its course.

OLD VILLAGE OF MIASINO

We leave Miasino, the car conveniently in the carpark opposite the historical Villa Nigra. We go through the charming village and its silent cobbled streets with its Baroque façades and wooden gates, towards the village of Pisogno where we will meet our travel companion, the Agogna. But before we set off, we suggest a little look around the hamlet we are in, beyond Piazza San Carlo. Take a look at the place’s pride and joy, the Baroque parish church dedicated to San Gottardo. Pedalling on, we take the dirt trail which crosses Pezzasco and its farms and we go over the river on a splendid little Roman bridge.

FOLLOW THE RIVER

Following the river’s course we reach a crossroad where a road and two paths meet, just before the bridge over the Agogna. We take the path that goes along the left bank of the river for 3 km, a good little single track which takes us over the river again and as far as the fork with path number S1, leading us to Mornerona, minute little hamlet in the area of Invorio, just a handful of old houses around a tiny church. At this point we take the Via Monte Rosa to the little hamlet of Orio, near Invorio, a cheerful little border village between the Vergano and Lake Orta. Continue along Via Orio for 100 metres then, after a hairpin bend, follow Via San Colombano.

CLIMB UP

You have to make the climb up towards the top of the hill to be able to get the best view of the church of San Colombano. Our eye takes in the whole area, to the left the plain extending as far as Novara, to the right Monte Rosa standing out in all its beauty and the hills around Lake Orta. Cycling down towards the little town of Briga Novarese we get back on to the path which every now and again touches on the River Agogna.

DOWN TO BORGOMANERO

After about 4 km we find we have arrived at Borgomanero in Via Maioni. Passing the railway on our left, we follow Via della Libertà and reach Villa Marazza, a beautiful park and the cultural centre of the town. Its roads and period bars, cafés and shops on the main street offer the opportunity for a little stop, as good today as it was decades ago when the town was an important crossroads of routes leading from Novara to the Riviera of Orta and the Simplon and from Turin to Lake Maggiore.

Starting on our journey again, we cross the Agogna and reach Via Maggiora and then after a series of roundabouts, the main provincial road for Gargallo, a village with architectural interest affording a view of Borgomanero from on high.

So, we take Via Casale Roncallo towards Soriso, another interesting little village with typical buildings, also Internationally known, thanks to the well-known chef, Luisa Valazza, who made local ingredients her stylish signature and her village a gourmet destination. At this point, we start the road downhill and cross the village of Auzate and whizz past some busy crossroads and roundabouts to get to Gozzano.

OPEN THE DOOR

The doorway to Lake Orta, it still maintains the charm typical of little country towns on the plain. If we go through its little streets, we can peek into courtyards and well-tended internal courtyard gardens belonging to the houses on the main street, and if we make a little diversion, we reach the basilica dedicated to San Giuliano, on the top of the hill within the confines of the ancient castle of  Gozzano, and, just outside the town, the ancient San Lorenzo church, traditionally said to be founded by the same saints Giulio and Giuliano.

APART THE TRAIL

At this point, follow the railway line along Via Degli Alpini, among fields and little woods and here we are back at Bolzano Novarese. If you have time, take a look inside the walls of the old castle where you might see a family of fallow deer who live there in complete freedom. Once we have passed the village, we start the climb back, skirting Monte Mesma, the natural park on whose peak is built the eponymous Franciscan monastery and the church dedicated to St Francis.  There is a very small community of friars still living here and one of the most beautiful views of Lake Orta is to be enjoyed from the church porch.

COME BACK HOME

Back on the road again, we go through the well-preserved villages of Lortallo and Vacciago, with gorgeous 19th century villas and timelessly beautiful churches. Our suggestion is for you to stop at the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Bocciola where you will not only be able to admire the view but also drink at the fountain and contemplate one of the local devotional sites of greatest importance.  Returning along the panoramic road, we are soon at the end of our tour and back at Miasino.

TYPES OF ROAD
Singletrack: 1.55 km
Path: 15.0 km
Bike path: 0 km
Minor road: 10.1 km
Asphalt road: 15.9 km

SURFACES
Natural: 5.50 km
Unpaved: 9.26 km
Dirt road: 100 m
Paved area: 10.7 km
Asphalt: 16.4 km

FOLLOW OUR HIGHLIGHTS

EXPLORE THE TERRITORY BY FOLLOWING OUR ADVICE

Sovazza

DEMO FOTO

Frazione di Armeno.

Armeno

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Armeno sorge sulle alture al di sopra del Lago d’Orta, è il comune più settentrionale della provincia di Novara, oltre che uno dei più estesi territorialmente.

Pisogno

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Frazione di Miasino

Cassano

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Incantevole frazione di Ameno.

Monte barro

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Ponte romano

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Splendido ponte di epoca romana nella frazione di Pezzasco (Ameno9.

Gozzano

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Gozzano è situato a poca distanza dal Lago d’Orta, al centro di un’ampia conca morenica, delimitata a ovest dagli ultimi contrafforti prealpini che la separano dalla Valsesia, a est dal corso del torrente Agogna.

Invorio

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Il comune di Invorio è situato al confine del basso Vergante. Il suo territorio, che si estende nella parte settentrionale della provincia di Novara, è ricoperto prevalentemente da boschi  ed è perlo più collinare.

San Colombano

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Collina nel comune di Briga Novarese con chiesa dedicata a San Colombano.

Briga novarese

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Piccolo comune della provincia di Novara poco distante dal lago d’Orta

Villa marazza

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Borgomanero

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Borgomanero is located about halfway between Novara, Varese and Verbania, in a flat basin on the slopes of the first hilly-mountainous reliefs of the Pennine Alps, a few kilometers from Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore. The border with Lombardy is only 13 kilometers away.