CYCLING TOURISM: ON THE LONGEST MORAINE HILL IN EUROPE
Bicycle
After Biella, we ride through the beautiful landscape of the Serra moraine hills, the longest in Europe, where we will visit an unusual place: the Eco museum of Gold and Bessa in Vermogno. Cycling
along the Special Nature Reserve of Bessa, already frequented in the past by the ancient Romans, we will ride through enchanted woods, guardians of ancient and mysterious legends, and the beautiful views of the Elvo Valley that will accompany us until the return.
We start in front of the ATL headquarters in Biella, continuing along Via Lamarmora and Via Rosselli to Ponderano and from there continue in the direction of Mongrando along the Maghetto road, a fast ring road. Go past the village of Mongrando and turn left towards Zubiena Riviera, taking a quiet road that winds its way up and down along the Bessa Nature Reserve, passing through small villages surrounded by greenery. After Vermogno, the main entrance to the Bessa Nature Reserve and home to the "Arena dei Cercatori d'Oro" (gold diggers' arena), we turn right towards San Sudario - Magnano, crossing a hollow and then climbing up another ridge of the Serra moraine hill. Passing the monastery of Bose and the Romanesque church of San Secondo, we reach Magnano, with its ricetto and Saint John’s parish church. We head towards the Biella Le Betulle Golf Course and shortly after we leave the SP 338 turning left to reach Torrazzo. This small village on the Serra is home to the MAT (Torrazzo Open Museum), an open-air art collection with sculptures, high and low reliefs, and paintings by 50 authors decorating the main streets and walls of the village squares.
From here, we reach Sala Biellese and take the road to Croce Serra, skirting the small lake Prè and the hidden village of Scalveis. This route enters a magical forest, where light filters through oaks and chestnut trees, and the atmosphere of the area should be enjoyed at leisure. At Croce Serra, where the morainic hillside merges with the Alpine chain, we reach the Elvo Valley, which we ride entirely along the provincial road that winds along the slopes of the Mombarone massif, passing through the villages of Donato and Netro, Graglia, Occhieppo Superiore and Inferiore before returning to Biella.
| Km. | Location | Information |
| 0.0 | Biella - Departure in Via Lamarmora in front of the ATL Tourist Information Office, direction west. | Recommended car park: Biella Station - Camper Area with loading and unloading facility. |
| 0.8 | Left in Via Rosselli - to Ponderano |
|
| 3.3 | Right to Mongrando - Mongrando Centro to Ivrea SS 338 |
|
| 10.1 | Leave the main road and continue along the SP 411. It skirts the Bessa Nature Reserve through a series of ascents and descents. | At Km 14 Variant for Fontana Solforosa Ecomuseo dell'oro e della Bessa in Vergogno (Zubiena). |
| 15.8 | Right to San Sudario-Magnano. |
|
| 20.1 | Straight on for SP 410. |
|
| 22.1 | Right for SS 338. | At Km 24.50 Biella “Le Betulle" Golf Course. |
| 24.0 | Left to Sala SP 410 |
|
| 26.4 | Torrazzo |
|
| 27.4 | Left to Andrate - Croceserra | Splendid panorama over the Canavese area. |
| 33.2 | Croceserra - to Donato, Graglia, Occhieppo Sup / Inf., Biella | Various fountains along the route. |
| 51.7 | Occhieppo Inferiore - Left to Biella centre. |
|
| 53.8 | Biella - arrival in Via Lamarmora in front of the ATL Tourist Information Office. |
|
Location: Biella (Biella and Oropa Valley) - Donato, Graglia, Muzzano, Netro, Occhieppo Inferiore, Occhieppo Superiore, Sordevolo (Elvo Valley) - Magnano, Sala Biellese, Torrazzo, Mongrando, Cerrione, Zubiena (Viverone, Serra and Bessa) - Ponderano (Baraggia and Plain)
Means of transport: Bicycle
Difficulty: Medium
Length(km): 53.8
Uphill height difference(m): 809
Travel time: 3 hours
KML (Google Earth, Google Maps)Download GPX (GPS Exchange Format )
