The route is a classic of the start of the season for local cyclists. The first stretch is totally flat, so you can warm up your muscles. There's little traffic on the roads and the landscape changes over the two stretches. The first stretch is mostly made up of maize, rice and wheat fields, with some typical riverside vegetation along the river Po. The second is hilly and mostly made up of vineyards that produce the Barbera of Monferrato Casalese wine.
The route begins in Casale Monferrato, in front of the castle of the Paleologi in Piazza Castello, home to the Enoteca Regionale wine shop.
Cross the town and pass the former Nino Bixio barracks. Until 1999, it was a recruit training centre for young men from all over Italy. It was already the base of the Casale 11th Infantry Regiment in 1619 and therefore boasts 380 years of history.
Carry on to Frassineto Po, where it's worth stopping to visit the Centro di Interpretazione del Paesaggio del Po in Palazzo Mossi, an exhibition area of the Po River Park in Piedmont. Go on to Ticineto, in whose main square, Piazza Martiri della Libertà, you can visit the church of the Santissima Annunziata. Get back on your bike over to Valmacca, a typical town near a river. The nearby hamlet of Torre d'Isola sits right on the banks of the Po. Valmacca is famous for the asparagus festival that takes place on the third Sunday of May. After crossing the village of Rivalba, you arrive in the village of Bozzole, where it's worth stopping to see the statue of the Madonna dell'Argine, erected in 1857 after a devastating flood on the Po.
Carry on to Pomaro, with its medieval castle. After Pomaro, the landscape gets hilly and you'll have to tackle the first climbs on the route. Arrive in Villabella over some light ups and downs, then go up to San Salvatore Monferrato, which stands out because of the tower of the Paleologi. You can also find the first Monferrato Bike Point in San Salvatore. There's also a little square dedicated to Alfonsina Strada, the first woman cyclist to take part in the men's Giro d'Italia in 1924.
The route carries on over the hill to Lu, where you'll find another medieval tower. There's now a very wide view all around you. Go down from the hill the town sits on, into the Grana valley. Take a challenging climb back up to Conzano. It's worth visiting the Villa Vidua here. You'll find it near the town bell tower, the third tower on this charming route. Go down to San Maurizio, then come back up to the pretty village of Terruggia. The last leg back to Casale Monferrato is short. Go downhill and, after 6 km, you'll find yourself back at the castle of the Paleologi, where you started.