PERMANENT CYCLE ROUTE BETWEEN ALESSANDRIA AND CASALE MONFERRATO
Greenway delle 2 Cittadelle is a project to link Alessandria and Casale Monferrato by means of a very convenient cycle route. It goes along some minor roads with little traffic, but mostly along tracks between villages. The roads are easy and almost all flat. They run beside canals and rice fields. This route is one for all cyclists, despite the climb in the middle to the hill of San Salvatore Monferrato.
It's perfect whether you're on a relaxed, environmentally friendly holiday, or want to put the pedal to the metal on a safe route. The route immerses you in the history, culture and landscape of the places you pass through, most of which are given over to farming.
Associazione FIAB Monferrato Bike di Casale Monferrato and Associazione FIAB Alessandria Gliamicidellebici came up with the idea for the project in late 2014.
The municipalities on the cycle route signed an agreement with Associazione FIAB di Casale and Associazione FIAB di Alessandria in order to promote it, including with permanent signs along the way.
The cittadelle, or forts, of Casale Monferrato and Alessandria are the symbols of the cycle route. The aim of the project is to let people learn about the history and architecture of the two towns. The fort of Alessandria is already a national monument, and was added to the Tentative List of potential UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2006.
The signposts along the route bear a special symbol, a bicycle with a stylised image of the two forts in its wheels. Directions to Alessandria are in red and ones to Casale Monferrato are in green.
The route can begin in either of the two forts and be taken any day of the year. From Mondays to Saturdays, you can also take advantage of the railway line between the two towns, as Trenitalia Regionale trains allow you to take your bike on.
As you can start from either town, let's assume for our purposes that you are setting off from Casale Monferrato towards Alessandria. Go around the fort along a green path until you reach the Palazzetto dello Sport, then pedal on along Via Visconti, past the roundabout and onto Strada Bassotti, which runs along the Lanza canal until Cantone Vallare. Turn left here for Borgo San Martino, which you'll reach along a string of tracks. Once you've gone through the town, turn right immediately after crossing the railway, then take the second track on your left all the way to Occimiano. When you come out onto the road going into the village, you'll see a statue of a white bicycle. This was erected in remembrance of a cyclist named Gloria, who was killed in an accident, and is a memorial to everyone who has died cycling on roads. It is also a warning to be sensible and pay attention to your safety.
Once you've gone through the village, head in the direction of Conzano but turn onto Strada Comunale Vecchia di Lu at the junction. Follow a string of pretty tracks until Mirabello Monferrato and pay attention as you go through a series of narrow streets to the industrial estate. Here, take Strada Pizzo, pass nearby the MX motocross track and you'll come to the foot of the only hill on the route. Go through the village of Valdolenga and reach the top of San Salvatore Monferrato. The challenging bit, especially for beginner cyclists, ends here. Have a rest and a well-deserved juice or coffee in Piazza Carlo Alberto Carmagnola.
Head off downhill in the direction of Valenza and turn right after about 500 m onto Via Degiovanni, then left at the junction down Strada Comunale Pietramarazzi. This long, pretty descent takes you to the Quarta valley, also known locally as the 'valley of death'. After about 5 km, you come out onto Strada Cerca. Turn left and go under the bridge, then turn right along Via Porcellana, which is partly a track. At the end of the road, you'll arrive outside the Motorizzazione Civile. Turn onto Via Pavia, on the SP 494, and you'll arrive at the fort of Alessandria after 800 m. If you've got the thighs for it, you can head back the way you came to Casale Monferrato, or you can just take the train back from the railway station a couple of kilometres away.