Italy: Piedmont

The Piedmont section of the Schweiz–Meer Radweg – Swiss-to-Sea Cycle Route crosses an extraordinarily diverse landscape, making Piedmont one of Italy’s most attractive destinations for cycle tourism. From the Alps and the shores of Lake Maggiore to the UNESCO-listed hills of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato, the route offers an immersive journey through nature, culture, and food and wine excellence.

The Schweiz–Meer Radweg – Swiss-to-Sea Cycle Route follows a north–south axis across six Piedmont provinces — Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Novara, Vercelli, Alessandria, Asti, and Cuneo — linking very different environments and landscapes.

The route begins in the Verbano-Cusio-Ossola area, among alpine and lakeside scenery: here, Lake Maggiore meets the mountains, creating spectacular landscapes of waterside villages, green valleys, and routes immersed in nature.

Heading south, the cycle route crosses the provinces of Novara and Vercelli, characterised by a unique landscape: the rice fields, known as the famous “checkered sea”, where water and sky reflect one another, creating an evocative and surprising setting particularly suited to flat and relaxing cycling routes.

Further on, the route enters the rolling landscapes of Monferrato and Roero before reaching the heart of the Langhe region, among vineyards, historic villages, and castles. In this section, the Schweiz–Meer Radweg – Swiss-to-Sea Cycle Route partly follows the course of the Tanaro River, crossing one of Europe’s most iconic wine-growing landscapes, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The itinerary then continues into the Upper Tanaro Valley, where the landscape becomes wilder and more mountainous, among forests and small villages, eventually reaching Colle di Nava, the gateway to Liguria.

Connections of the Cycle Route in Piedmont

The Schweiz–Meer Radweg – Swiss-to-Sea Cycle Route represents a strategic infrastructure for European cycle tourism, connecting Swiss National Route No. 3 in the Canton of Ticino with two of Europe’s major cycling itineraries: EuroVelo 7 (north–south axis) and EuroVelo 8 (east–west axis along the Mediterranean).

Within Piedmont, the cycle route intersects important cross-regional cycling corridors such as the Pedemontana route, the Canale Cavour route, EuroVelo 8 / VenTo, and the Via Francigena, as well as thematic itineraries including Bar2Bar and the Via Provenzale.

Beyond the Italian border, the Schweiz–Meer Radweg – Swiss-to-Sea Cycle Route continues along EuroVelo 8 towards the French Riviera, passing through Menton, Beausoleil, La Trinité, and Nice. This international extension strengthens the Euro-Mediterranean significance of the itinerary and positions it as a slow and sustainable tourism experience across Switzerland, Italy, and France.