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Itinerary bike riviera Pettenasco – Discovering the villages that embrace Lake Orta, among picturesque views and enchanting views of the waters and the surrounding valleys. This ring, while not presenting great difficulties, is dedicated to cyclists with a decent training: in fact, there are climbs and stretches that require a good driving ability. The first part of the route is on the paved road while to follow will also alternate passages in clay and single track in the lush vegetation characteristic of the Riviera and the hills behind it.
BETWEEN WATER MILLS AND SPRINGS
We go up on the saddle in Pettenasco, a place overlooking Lake Orta, much appreciated especially in the summer season. We begin our journey near the parish church of Santa Caterina.
Advancing north for 120 meters we will take Via Vittorio Veneto and on the left we will enter a small secondary road. Soon we will meet the Museum of the Art of Wood Turning, which tells the story of this production technique from the beginning of the twentieth century to today.
We advance in our route by station for about 600 meters and keeping the right we pass the level crossing.
Arrived at the intersection we will keep the left for Via Francisca for another 170 meters, Straight on Via della Chiesa, we will continue in the direction of Crabbia, a hamlet of Pettenasco made picturesque by vintage houses and small, suggestive, alleys.
SAN MARTINO
Here we will meet the church of San Martino, which houses a valuable altarpiece depicting St. Anne.
Heading on the right in via Agrano we will arrive shortly after an intersection and keeping on the left we will advance in Via per Omegna. Here starts a beautiful path in the green: we will cycle along meadows overlooking the lake and we will enter for about 3 km in the vegetation, increasingly dense, with small streams of water that in some places we will have to overcome accompanying the vehicle on foot. Continuing on a secondary road in the direction of Borca, after about 50 meters keeping the left we will find ourselves at a junction and at the intersection on the right with Via Franco Martinoli.
FOLLOWING THE COAST
In the hamlet of Borca we will pass in front of the Church of San Gottardo. After another 375 meters, we follow the GPS for via Borca and turn along via Agrano, taking the paved road that takes us to the village of Agrano, on the slopes of Mottarone at an altitude of 450 meters.
The village is known for the “Mummy of Agrano”, the body of a young woman buried there around 1740, miraculously maintained intact and preserved on the back of the Parish Church of San Maiolo, which has become the object of local devotion. We will take place shortly after in via Giulio Isotta and keep ourselves on the left on via Selviana. At the intersection we will keep on the left in via del Rivo and, shortly after, on the right we will arrive in via Mottarone, meeting the famous stream Pescone, the main entrant of the eastern shore of Lake Orta.
AGRANO AND THE PEACH
After passing a crank curve, keeping us to the left on via armeno, we will reach shortly after the small mountain village of Bassola, all alleys, portals and exposed stone houses. We are again at a crossroads and, proceeding on the right, we follow the path that leads us to Pratolungo, known until a few decades ago for its wonderful orchards. It will be a pleasure to cycle in the quiet of this ancient village, still not affected by mass tourism, despite the remarkable view of the blue waters of Lake Orta.
EXCELLENT WINES
In addition to the church of San Grato, we will meet Villa Fortis, a former agricultural estate renovated by the well-known industrialist Alberto Alessi. Dating back to the seventeenth century, it covers about 6 hectares of land, now converted to the production of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In the center of the village, next to the recreational club, we will take the path that will lead us on Mount Barro. The route winds on the eastern side of the mountain, reaching without tears the two points of the summit at 639 meters. The highest point is indicated by a cross and is called “Muntagnin by Zicar”. We enjoy the wide and enchanting view of Lake Orta and the valleys of the district before getting back on the saddle.
AFTER THE BEAUTIFUL VIEW YOU GO DOWN
Following the directions to Pettenasco (or following the GPS track of our route) we will start the descent. We are almost on the way: we continue along Via Principale, on the left Via Gino Fara Forni and, again on the left, Via Parrocchiale and Via Vittorio Veneto, until we close our route back to the starting point. Bike itinerary Riviera Pettenasco.