Five Epic Cycling Routes in Piedmont That Will Make You Fall in Love with Italy
The Voyage Co.
I have led many cyclists through Piedmont, and every time I discover why people fall in love with this region. The cycling here is not just exercise — it is moving through landscape, tasting air, experiencing beauty with your body. Let me share my five favourite routes.
Whether you're getting into cycling to stay fit or simply to discover new landscapes, relax, and savour the food of Piedmont, you can rely on Paolo's experience as a certified cycling escort.
1. Mountain Bike: Colle del Sommeiller
Piedmont Alps
This route takes you to 3000 metres altitude where Italy and France meet. The altitude is challenging, but the reward is views that make your lungs burn in a good way. You are above clouds, above civilisation, in pure mountain landscape.
2. Racing Bike: Colle dell'Agnello
Piedmont Alps
This is one of the highest passes in the Alps, perfect for serious cyclists. The gradient is steep, the views are incredible. You ride past villages that seem to perch on cliffs, through forest that changes from green to alpine as you climb.
3. Route Through the Langhe: UNESCO Hills to Ligurian Coast
UNESCO Langhe Region
Start in the UNESCO-protected Langhe region, famous for wine and white truffles. Cycle through rolling hills where vineyards paint the landscape. End at the Ligurian coast where mountains meet sea. This route combines many types of Piedmont beauty.
4. Lake Maggiore to Swiss Border: The 100 Valleys Road
Northern Piedmont
Starting from the Italian shores of Lake Maggiore, you reach the Swiss tip, returning via the "Road of 100 Valleys." The route is varied, moving through different ecosystems and cultures. Every day is different.
5. Mountain Bike to Alpine Pastures: The Milky Way
Piedmont-France Alps
This mountain bike route takes you to high-altitude pastures and lakes between the Italian and French Alps. It is called the Milky Way because of the way the path seems to flow. You are far from roads, in pure nature, breathing thin air, moving through a landscape that feels timeless.
Piedmont rewards a saddle. Pick one of these for your weekend, eat slowly at the bottom of every climb, and the region opens up in a way no car or train can match. The hills, the wine, the food, the silence — they're all easier to taste from a bicycle.
