The name of Loazzolo, the little village atop a lonely hill in Monferrato Astigiano, evolved from Lupatiolum; perhaps it was known for its fierce character, like lupi: wolves. A wild place, where the many families who once inhabited it struggled to till the unyielding slopes and sculpt stone terraces from its earth. And yet this place hides a precious treasure, an amber nectar that encapsulates every flower, blade of grass and aroma on the hill: the raisin wine Moscato di Loazzolo DOC.
This is a little village with an ancient character, narrow streets and stone walls. You'll also find the house of the painter Ranaboldo, where cultural exhibitions and art shows are put on. All around as far as the eye can see are the Moscato vineyards. Only a tiny fraction of their grapes, selected with painstaking care, will be used for the prized raisin wine. Around the village are a few woods that are of particular natural and aesthetic interest. The wood type is mixed manna ash and pubescent oak. The latter makes up the canopy in this habitat, while the former, along with Scots pine, makes up the under-storey. The woodland is interspersed with dry meadows on hill ridges. A visit to the wood Bosco della Luja will give you a chance to see these habitats, which are of great natural interest not only for their plants, like broom, orchids and lilies, but also their animals. A range of butterfly species is present, along with smaller birds and diurnal birds of prey like the short-toed eagle, kestrel and buzzard. On the ground you may spot red squirrels, roe deer and badgers.
The route is short but climbs a fair bit. It is for fairly experienced cyclists who love nature. Part of the route is over paths that are very hard to follow without the aid of your GPX track or smartphone. A good part of the path is marked with stripes or blue signs.
Follow the GPX track to the 10 km mark, where it's worth stopping to visit Azienda Agricola del Forteto della Luja, a farm recognised as an 'oasis' by the WWF in 2007, thanks to its sustainable production methods and the technology it uses to help the environment. In 2005, it became the first farm powered entirely by solar energy. Along with discovering the history of Bosco della Luja, you can try some of the wonderful wines in this natural oasis.
Start in Loazzolo. After parking your car in Piazza Torino, head off along Via Castello, where you will find the council building. Head through the narrow streets between the stone houses at your leisure. Pay a visit to the church of San Antonio Abate, erected in the 16th century, as well as the charming little Baroque church of the Disciplinati and the little church of Madonna della Neve, in its evocative setting among the pines. After filling up on water, set off downhill, enjoying marvellous views of Bosco della Luja on your right. Follow pretty roads downhill for 3 km, then turn right on the SP 25, Via Cortemilia. Then a few metres after, turn right quickly for Località Creviolo.
The road begins going up slowly but constantly, until you reach the highest point on the tarmac (423 m in altitude). After about 6 km, turn left onto an uphill slope that leads to a farm stay, Poggio Giardino. This is where the adventure really begins. Go up and immediately right onto a path known as Sentiero del Bosco e del Loazzolo DOC. Follow the GPX track very carefully, as there is a maze of interlocking country roads here. Go into the dense woodland and uphill for 9.6 km, until you reach the junction for Azienda Agricola del Forteto della Luja. If you want to visit the farm, take the track to it. If you don't feel like it, carry on along Strada Vicinale Teola and left at the junction onto the path to the little church of Santa Libera. This is the highest point on the route, at 574 m. Take a brief rest, get back onto the tarmac and head downhill to the fork in the road. Take the right in the direction of Regione Santa. Once you reach the junction with three roads, take the one in the middle, leaving the tarmac. The dirt road becomes a path and carries on downhill. After about 13.3 km of paths between field and wood, some of them hard to make out, you come out onto a pretty tarmac road surrounded by vineyards. Go right twice and then left at the junction. Once you get to the stop sign on the SP 42, turn right for the centre of Loazzolo, where our route ends.