You might think Monferrato is all vineyards and rolling hills, but there's more to it. This route winds through the unknown area of Monferrato made up of wide and narrow tracks, steep paths, tangled woodland and rocky patches. The area lies on the right-hand side of the River Stura di Monferrato in the Cerrina Valley. It is bordered by the shrine of Sacro Monte in Crea and the repeater at Villadeati, a round grey tower. The suggested route is mixed and fairly tricky given the constant climbs, which provide a fun challenge. Adventurous cyclists with an average level of fitness will enjoy it.
It's also possible even when muddy if you are careful, as the soil is not particularly clay-rich.
It can be done throughout the year, but ideally in spring or autumn.
Park your car in the rest area at the petrol station in Garoppi on the SP 590 to Cerrina and take the first tarmac road on your left to Casalino, a little hamlet near Mombello. A few hundred metres away on your left, you'll come to the first long climb. Go into the woodland, get to the top and ride smoothly down through the beautiful oaks.
Continue going downhill to the bottom of the valley to Serralunga di Crea. From here pass through the hamlet of Forneglio and the houses clustered around the castle. It's all uphill from here until you end up in the Sacro Monte di Crea Nature Reserve, part of the UNESCO world heritage site of the Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy.
Push your bike to the café, then the parvis in front of the shrine to the Virgin Mary. On the hill of the Sacro Monte you'll find the devotional path, dotted with 16th- and 17th-century chapels.
Carry on towards Ponzano Monferrato, skirting the castle owned by the descendants of Ugo Cavallero, Marshal of Italy. 2 km on, at the first bend to the left, turn off onto a path that quickly becomes narrow and heads downhill. Cross the brook and head uphill on the other side. Cross the brook again near the farm gate and go into the woods on your left, then take the tricky uphill path through the hollow. Follow the track to arrive at the Cascina Gigliola farm then return to the tarmac. After about 1 km, turn left onto a gravel track. Shortly after, turn right onto a narrow track that will take you to the bottom of the valley after a few bends that get narrower and deeper as you go on. The path goes back uphill, passing an abandoned barn and reaching the ruins of the Cascina Carpignano farmhouse made of tufa stone, at the top. Carry on along the scenic track until you come out onto the tarmac. Shortly after, you'll reach the hamlet of Pessine, where you turn right onto a track that takes you to the large repeater. Cross the tarmac road again and you'll see a centuries-old oak and a sign telling its story. Go on uphill and alongside a fence. You'll find a little donkey here that likes to be pet! Return to the tarmac and go up to the top of the hill, passing by a house that looks like a little castle. Turn left into the beautiful chestnut wood surrounding the repeater at the top. You'll pass a few hundred metres in front of the Sette Gocce spring in a small cave hollowed out by water that drips through the rock. A little after, take the junction on your right, go up to the top of the hill and push your bike for 10 m through the woods above you on your left. A pretty narrow track begins here and quickly turns into a path over the hills, exposed in some parts, bringing you out onto a scenic rocky outcrop. Go down into one of the hollows and take the track that offers a good view of Monferrato Astigiano. After about 1 km, go down the path on your left and into the woods again by a fence. When you come out by a little chapel, turn left back into the woods to find the tarmac road. Go up onto the tarmac until Odalengo Piccolo, where there's a bar and restaurant. Turn left uphill, still on the tarmac, to the hamlet of Vicinato. Come back to the hamlet of Pessine, passing through the structure of what was a castle in days gone by, as you did before. Take the road that goes up to meet the scenic track you took before. Shortly after the memorial to Cesare Triveri, a member of CAI Casale Monferrato and the creator of the Superga–Vezzolano–Crea route, go right at the junction onto a narrow track that leads to one of the most scenic 360-degree views of Monferrato. A steep, narrow descent takes you back to the scenic road below. Pedal on until the tarmac road to Piancerreto. At the little chapel of San Carlo, take the track on your right. Further on, at the first junction, go right again. At the next one go left onto the final stretch, which goes from dirt to gravel and ends in the hamlet of Casalino. Take the road back from here to the rest area where you left your car.