PROGRAM 4 NIGHTS/5 DAYS

 

Day 1: Arrival and relax at Villa Matilde.

Welcome to Piedmont! Your tour begins on your arrival at the beautiful Relais Villa Matilde in Romano Canavese (if you wish,  Bugella Welcome will be glad to arrange car or minibus transfers. Otherwise you can reach the Relais by your car). You will have plenty of time to enjoy a welcome drink by the beautiful swimming pool and relax in one of its rooms, all different from each other, or enjoy the warm and nice weather swimming and sunbathing! The day will end with dinner at the Relais Restaurant  Le Scuderie and a well-deserved rest.

Meals: dinner and welcome drink.

Places: Romano Canavese.

Lodging: Relais Villa Matilde (see box).

 

 

Day 2: castles, Viverone Lake, a Romanesque church and the number one Golf Club in Italy!

Here you go! After breakfast you will meet your personal cycling guide who will accompany you for the next days. The guide will explain the program and provide you with information about the route, the places you will visit, your security and how to make the most of your e-bike. Your assisted bicycles will be waiting in the garage of the Relais, with the battery fully charged and ready to start your adventure. The route runs on the flat land and then up to the wonderful Castle of Masino. The Castle, overlooking the wide plain of Canavese and immersed in a huge romantic park, is located on a hill in front of the long barrier of the Serra, the moraine hill of Ivrea (you will bike it in the following days!). You will discover its interiors and history on a guided tour and will be able to enjoy a drink at the panoramic bar. The next stop will be the Viverone Lake where you’ll enjoy a lake fish menu lunch on the terrace of Marina Hotel. Rested and refreshed you’ll continue your ride along quiet roads or dirt roads to the pretty Bertignano lake, then to the villages of Zimone and Magnano. Do not miss a visit to the Romanesque church of San Secondo, immersed in the tranquility of the surrounding nature. Arrival at the hotel for the night: Golf Hotel Le Betulle. You will be welcomed by the "english style" atmosphere of the hotel inside the Golf Club, for a wine tasting and dinner. Overnight, perhaps in one of the rooms overlooking one of the 18 holes of the course.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Places: Romano Canavese, Masino Castle, Viverone Lake, Zimone, Magnano.

Route: 46 km / 28.5 miles, vertical drop: 820m D +, D- 540m.

Accommodation: Golf Hotel Le Betulle (see box).

 

 

Day 3: the longest moraine hill in Europe, a SPA in the mountains and the Unesco Heritage Sanctuary!

Up hill day on the Serra, the moraine hill separating Canavese from Biella. The vertical drop, aided by your ebike, will not fear even the less trained! We will be riding along easy off-road trails for nearly 20 km, along the entire hill, among its wonderful forests, to reach the village of Andrate and then continue, always slightly uphill, up to our first  destination where we’ll relax and refresh: The Bossola of Netro. This hotel and restaurant has a special feature: a small and intimate spa where you can relax in a hot tub or sauna and taste the local dishes while enjoying a splendid view on the Biellese, the Serra, the Po Valley and mount Monviso in the background! The ride will continue on Tracciolino, the scenic road that connects the two most important sanctuaries of the Biella area: Graglia and Oropa. Before reaching your final destination  of the day, you’ll stop at a must: the Trappist monastery of Sordevolo. A surprise among the Biella mountains. Finally you’ll get to the Oropa Sanctuary and its Sacred Mount, where you’ll have dinner at the lovely Betty’s restaurant, nestled among the trees, and will sleep in the rooms of the Sanctuary featured by their  unique, mystical atmosphere, yet offering all the comforts of a modern hotel. Rest, relaxation, mysticism, nature and history will accompany you in your stay.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Places: Magnano, Andrate, The Bossola of Netro, Trappa, Oropa.

Route: 42 km / 26 miles, altitude: 1270m D +, D- 670m.

Accommodation: Oropa Sanctuary (see box).

 

 

Day 4: The Oropa and Valle Cervo Valleys, the most mysterious village in Italy and the natural oasis born from the dream of Ermenegildo Zegna!

After breakfast at one of the historical bars of the Sanctuary, a tour guide will accompany you to the discovery of the Sanctuary: the Royal Apartments where the Savoys, the Kings of Italy, used to stay when visiting these places, the gallery of votive offerings, the treasure museum  ...you will then resume your bike and, after a paved road with some turns and a tunnel dug into the rock, you’ll be right into the next valley: the Cervo valley. There, a guided tour of Rosazza village and its fascinating mysteries will be waiting for you. Attracting especially those interested in esoteric and mysterious places, Rosazza owes its fame to Federico Rosazza, Senator of the Kingdom of Italy, who was said to be the Grand Master of the Freemasons of Biella and hold his secret meetings in this village. After lunch, a last biking effort will take you first on a climb to Oasi Zegna and, after a stop to visit the stone village of Sassaia, to a well-deserved rest at the Bucaneve Hotel. For those still filled with energy and wishing to discover the Sessera Valley, another 10 km cycling tour will let you discover this pristine and wild valley! At dinner,  everybody will enjoy a gourmet menu prepared by chef Andrea, accompanied  with the fine wines recommended by sommelier Katia. Overnight at the hotel rooms offering the thrill of an alpine residence, in full respect of the original style.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, gourmet dinner.

Places: Oropa, Rosazza, Bocchetto Sessera, Oasi Zegna.

Route: 35 km / 22 miles, altitude: 1330m D +, D- 1000m. (45 km / 28 miles if Sessera Valley)

Accommodation: Hotel Bucaneve (see box).

 

 

Day 5: Casa Zegna, medieval villages, wine cellars of Piedmont  wine and … a piece of African savannah in Biella!

Before leaving Biella you can’t miss two important aspects of life of Biella: the textile and the wine-making tradition. In an extraordinary setting, where the mountain environment surrounds the factory, Casa Zegna tells the story of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group, the global leader of luxury menswear: you will discover the stylistic, technological and human values of the group and of the entire textile industry of Biella! Always down-hill and in complete relax, you will cross peaceful valleys and landscapes, the medieval village of

Masserano, and finally reach your wine tasting stop, at one of the wineries in program: the Sella Estate in Lessona, owned by the Sella family of Biella since 1671. Marco will let you taste the wines produced with Nebbiolo grapes (Lessona, Bramaterra, Coste del Sesia) accompanied with very tasty local specialties. The next wine tasting stop will be the Castellengo Castle with its Centovigne wines. Jutta and Alessandro will take you to the discovery of this castle perched on a hill overlooking the beautiful valley below, its back to the smooth hills of Biella. Shortly after leaving this place, the landscape changes completely and you’ll find yourself crossing the Natural Reserve of Baragge. The dense heath alternating with vast expanses of prairie, makes it look like the African savannah, with the Biella Alps as a background. After visiting Ricetto, one of the best preserved medieval towns in Italy, your journey will come to an end: a minibus will take you back to Villa Matilde, from where you started four days before, and you’ll  return home!

Meals: breakfast, tasting / light lunch.

Places: Oasi Zegna, Trivero, Casa Zegna, Masserano, Lessona, Castellengo, Baraggia, Candelo, Biella.

Route: 58 km / 22 miles, vertical drop: 620m D +, D- 1720m.