Monferrato - Trekking - Monastero Bormida

The Moscato Trail

This itinerary takes you to that corner of Piedmont crossed by the Bormida river, where the provinces of Asti, Alessandria and Cuneo meet and are lightly touched by the sea air coming from Liguria.

Our trail starts in Monastero Bormida, with its castle, its characteristic Romanesque humpback bridge, its people who are as strong as the Langa rock and its charming stories brilliantly told by the most illustrious of its citizens: the writer Augusto Monti, who set the intriguing stories of his masterpiece "I Sansôssi" here.

Follow the CAI red and white signs and immerse yourself in these lush places, surrounded by the countless shades of nature, sometimes a little harsh, on slopes that man has shaped through his labour, amidst tidy hazelnut groves and wild woods that are home to a varied and lively fauna... Walk among the vineyards of blond Moscato grapes, but also of Pinot and Chardonnay which, all together and at these altitudes, are the basis of the most appreciated sparkling wine, Alta Langa DOCG.

Next, leave your car in Monastero and follow the signs heading eastwards as you leave the village and reach a slightly uphill asphalted road to Regione Scandolino; after a few hairpin bends in-between stone walls and small villas with gardens, which are bursting with flowers in spring, you will get to a votive chapel and just beyond it there is a junction: keep left and go uphill through vineyards and fields before leaving the asphalted road and then follow a path that goes into the woods. You will find a row of oak trees running perpendicular to the path and, keeping to your right, you go up to the ridge where you will be able to enjoy a marvellous view of Monastero Bormida, Sessame and the other villages in the area.

You continue through a pine grove and you will find yourself surrounded by some stunning vineyards that will keep you company all the way to Regione Ippolito. Along the way you will also see the Quirin Mayer Sculpture Park, with some installations which are visible from the road. Further on, through oak woods and vineyards, you will come across a hamlet (Rovereta) and, on the horizon, you will spot Cassinasco (which is worth a detour) with its characteristic tower, this is all that remains of a medieval castle: a 20-metre high tower on which it is possible to access for free to enjoy a view of the entire Alpine arc and the Belbo and Bormida valleys.

A sharp bend at the entry to the village marks the beginning of the path back towards Monastero Bormida. You continue towards Regione Gibelli, still amidst woods, hazelnut groves and vineyards, and then you reach another panoramic viewpoint overlooking Sessame and other municipalities and hamlets of the Langa Astigiana.

And finally, you get to the crossroads. You continue downhill to the right and, once you reach the asphalted road, turn left and follow the main road until you find the first votive chapel that you have already seen at the beginning of your trail and, from there, you go to the centre of Monastero Bormida. This 13 km walk is in close contact with nature, through pleasant and relaxing landscapes.