RBT - Variant 6A

A variation of the official RBT itinerary, this section connects the Castagnito and Guarene crests for one-of-a-kind vistas of the Roero and Langhe regions.

Start near the Castagnito cemetery in Tortorini, where three country roads meet. From the cemetery’s parking area, turn right onto highway SP 50, then left after 300 metres onto Via delle Fontane. From here, get back on highway SP 50 and turn left onto a narrow road through the centre of town, which comes out onto a crossroads where you will find the Church of Madonna del Popolo.

The route continues to the left along Via Ronchesio past homes of recent construction and a small playground with a drinking fountain. The road turns to dirt and bends sharply to the right to head up along the most panoramic section of “Sentiero dell’Acino”, a natural vista point overlooking the Asti hills with the villages of Magliano Alfieri and Govone in the background and then, further out, towards the Langhe wine region.

Continue along the crest of the hill past orderly vineyards on both sides until you reach San Licerio hill (altitude: 387 m / 1270 ft), where you will again have a view of Vezza and central Roero. The trail heads back down steeply, winding past homes with wellgroomed yards to the Guarene sports complex. Turn left here onto highway SP 50, which will take you to Via Alessandro Roero. Here, we recommend a visit of the historical centre of Guarene and its winding streets that take you to the heart of the village in Piazza Roma for a stunning view of the Tanaro Valley. We also recommend a stroll along the paramuro, a corridor along the ancient system of defensive walls beneath the castle, to the poggiolo, a vista point that is ideal for a shot of Alba and the Tanaro Valley. The village’s Baroque churches are also of interest, particularly the Church of SS. Annunziata with its spectacular frescoes and an altar piece depicting the Annunciation (an early work by Guglielmo “il Moncalvo” Caccia), Palazzo Re Rebaudengo, home to the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Foundation, and the 18th century Castle of the Roero Family, designed in 1726 by Carlo Giacinto Roero and erected atop the hill.

Finally, the Pinacoteca Comunale del Roero, with its contemporary art collections, is also very much worth a visit.

Along the trail, in the land of Guarene, you will come across the bicycle workshop with toilets, located at the junction with Via Ortigara, next to the spheristerium (geolocation). To use the area please contact Guarene City Hall +39 0173 611103 on Roma square, 6. Work financed with EAFRD funds European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe invests in rural areas.