The journey begins where a passion for good food was born.
The trail starts in Bra, the town where the Slow Food movement was founded and an ideal place to soak up its Baroque atmosphere and explore its museums before heading out into the countryside. Leaving the town centre behind, the route winds through the woods of America dei Boschi and Saliceto towards Sommariva Perno, once home to the hunting lodge of the “Bela Rosin”.
The trail then continues through oak and chestnut woods towards Baldissero d’Alba, overlooked by the Colonna Castle, before reaching Montaldo Roero and its imposing medieval tower, the symbol of a village poised between two contrasting landscapes: the wild Rocche and carefully tended vineyards.
Among giant trees and open-air museums.
This stage is a tribute to the monumental beauty of nature. From Monteu Roero, the trail winds through hazelnut groves to the “Castagna Granda”, a centuries-old giant chestnut tree. The route then reaches Santo Stefano Roero, where the spectacular formations of the Rocche dominate the village square, before continuing towards Montà via the picturesque Sanctuary of the Piloni, a small sacred complex surrounded by greenery. The trail continues to Canale, in the heart of Roero, with its Malabaila Castle. Here you can stroll beneath the arcades and stop at the Regional Wine Shop before continuing to Cisterna d’Asti, a fortified village whose impressive medieval castle houses the Museum of Arts and Crafts of the Past, with reconstructed traditional artisan workshops.
Following the traces of history and exploring royal residences.
Leaving Cisterna, the trail descends towards the little Church of Saints Gervasio and Protasio, associated with the legend of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa’s army passing through the area, before entering a natural amphitheatre of vineyards. The route passes through San Damiano d’Asti, a fine example of an Asti-area medieval “new town”, with its distinctive grid layout and central street lined with arcades. The trail then continues towards San Martino Alfieri, where you can admire the castle and the Big Bench. The stage ends in Govone, overlooking the Tanaro Valley from its hilltop Royal Castle, a magnificent Savoy residence included in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1997 and a favourite summer residence of King Charles Felix of Savoy.
Baroque residences, landscape museums and breathtaking views.
From Govone, the route heads towards the “Ponte del Re”, a place name linked to infrastructure projects commissioned by King Charles Felix of Savoy. The trail passes through Priocca, dominated by the imposing Neo-Gothic parish church, before following a spectacular panoramic ridge offering sweeping views over the Tanaro Valley and the Langhe. It then reaches Magliano Alfieri, where the imposing Baroque castle houses two unique museums: the Plaster Ceiling Museum and the “Landscape Theatre”, an ideal place to discover the roots and identity of this territory. The route continues towards Castellinaldo, said to be the village with the highest proportion of vineyards in Roero, and then passes through Castagnito. The stage ends in Guarene, an elegant hilltop village. The route reaches the panoramic hill of San Licerio, where the Art Park of the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo creates a harmonious dialogue between contemporary art and nature.
Where geology tells stories thousands of years old.
From the picturesque “Poggiolo” viewpoint in Guarene, the trail heads towards Vezza d’Alba, a village renowned for the Madernassa pear and its Natural History Museum, where visitors can discover the secrets of the area’s geology and local wildlife. Continuing along the “Sentiero del Tasso”, the trail crosses wild landscapes and vineyard-covered amphitheatres, passing through Piobesi d’Alba and then Corneliano, instantly recognisable by the distinctive Decagonal Tower rising above the village. After admiring the Sanctuary of Madonna Assunta in Castellero, the route enters the territory of Monticello d’Alba, a medieval village dominated by the majestic castle of the Roero Counts, one of the best-preserved castles in Piedmont.
A grand finale of “masche” legends and a return to where the journey began.
The final stage is rich in history and folklore. From Monticello, the trail reaches Santa Vittoria d’Alba, with its unmistakable silhouette perched high on the hill and the fascinating cycle of 15th-century frescoes preserved in the Confraternity of San Francesco. Along the way stands the mysterious “Turriglio” of Cinzano, a monument bearing witness to the Romanisation of the area. The trail then enters the spectacular Rocche of Pocapaglia, a land steeped in legends of the “masche” — the mysterious witches of Piedmontese folklore — and home to the evocative Bric d’la Masca Micilina. After enjoying the last breathtaking views, the route descends towards the Church of San Michele Arcangelo before returning to Bra, completing this magnificent circular journey through history, nature and local traditions.
PLEASE NOTE: Responsibility for the maintenance and practicability of the various trails lies with the municipalities where the routes are located. The Tourist Board, therefore, cannot be held responsible for any inefficiencies, but is willingly available to collect your reports so that they can be forwarded to the authorities concerned.
