Are you in the Lake District and want to know which cycling routes are best for you?

If you can bring the family?

Do you need an MTB, or is an e-bike okay?

On distrettolaghi.it and lagomaggioreexperience.it you can choose from 40 routes. They range from stretches for experienced bikers to flat routes through nature ideal for groups or families. You can climb hills between Italy and Switzerland at an altitude of over 2,000 metres, or ride along the shores of our lakes. To discover them, you can go to the Outdoor section and download the detailed sheets we have prepared for each itinerary.

However, we can start giving you some tips. You can also find them on this map, which can be downloaded here (or is available at the local tourist offices).

Flowers, woods and villages

From Verbania to Domodossola (or vice versa) following the river Toce.

The Toce Cycle Route is an almost completely flat itinerary, on cycle paths, white roads or easy paths, suitable for everyone. Immersed in nature, you cross the special nature reserve of Fondotoce and the places where the typical flowers of Lake Maggiore grow, giving their best from April to May. Then from Ornavasso to Premosello you meet the luxuriant green of the Bosco Tenso, with a route suitable for mountain bikes. At Vogogna you can enkoy the spectacle of the ancient medieval castle and one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. The route continues on a cycle path to the Borgo della Cultura in Domodossola, with its charming Piazza Mercato. For those who still have energy, the cycle route concludes with a loop between the rivers to Crevoladossola and Masera. It takes about 7 hours to cover the whole route, round trip.

Roads of war

More than a century ago, while the First World War was being fought, Italy feared a German invasion from Switzerland. This gave rise to the high-level fortifications of the Cadorna Line. Then in the Second World War the partisans took refuge there. Today, in Verbano, the wide white roads that link them offer the possibility of riding between the panorama of the Borromean Gulf and the peaks of the Val Grande National Park, the largest protected wilderness area in Italy.

A mountain bike round trip from Piancavallo, on the slopes of Monte Zeda, takes three hours and involves 650 metres of altitude difference.

Rosmini, Manzoni and surroundings

In the mid-19th century, the philosopher and the writer used to meet between Lesa and Stresa. Antonio Rosmini and Alessandro Manzoni stayed on the banks of the Verbano, and with them many intellectuals of the Italian Risorgimento. If you are a fan of cycle tourism, history and Art Nouveau villas, as well as views, orchards and woods as far as the eye can see, you can go from Stresa to Arona by following the coast road and returning along the Vergante road. It takes a couple of hours to get there and back, with a few medium climbs.

The Lake of Fantasy

Gianni Rodari was born here and set some of his most famous fairy tales in this place. But even without the genius of the writer, Lake Orta does not fail to spark the imagination. Its island of San Giulio seems to have come straight out of a tale and has mythical origins. The Cusio can be skirted by bicycle in a couple of hours. It is 35 km with a 200 metre altitude difference to be overcome by letting your imagination run wild.

Cycling and brushstrokes

The Vigezzo Valley is located on the border with Switzerland, on a plateau running from east to west. The result? A special light from dawn to dusk. Ideal for cycling and painting. Its views have been immortalised by famous painters. In an hour and a half you can go from Druogno to the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Sangue di Re on a cycle path with no major differences in height. An easy route where, after each bend, you will want to stop and paint a picture. But probably a selfie will do.

Foto di Fabio Valeggia

Cycling along the current with the “Laghi & Monti Bike” cycle route: more than 80 kilometres from the springs on the Italian-Swiss border to the shores of Lake Verbano

Have you ever wondered how long it takes a drop of water melting from the snows of the Formazza valley to reach Lake Maggiore through the Ossola valley? And will its twin, which melts a few tens of metres away in the Bedretto valley, passing through the Ticino, reach the lake first?

If you are not a good mathematician, leave it alone, otherwise you will get lost in complicated calculations, full of variables. If you like cycling in the midst of nature, the Laghi & Monti Bike route will take you along the same route as our two drops, through unforgettable landscapes and experiences. We recommend that you do this in stages, because there are more than 80 kilometres from the springs on the border between Italy and Switzerland to the shores Lake Verbano.

The route will be made possible thanks to a cross-border connection financed by the European programme Interreg Italy-Switzerland, which is dedicated, in particular, to mountain bikers and is currently being implemented.

One of the fascinating aspects of the Laghi &Monti Bike is being able to follow the course of the two main tributaries of Lake Maggiore on a bike: Toce (in Italy) and Ticino (in Switzerland).

When you find yourself at over 2,300 metres on the San Giacomo pass, the choice is yours. To the north, the Swiss Val Bedretto awaits you and then, if you don’t want to go up to the Gotthard, the descent through the Valle Leventina will take you to Bellinzona, the Piano di Magadino, Locarno and Verbano. If, on the other hand, you turn your wheels to the south, there are Formazza, Antigorio, Ossola, Lake Mergozzo, the Fondotoce reed beds and the priceless view of the Borromean Gulf.

If you have the spirit of a salmon and the legs of Merckx (or an e-MTB) you can instead ride upstream from the lake to the San Giacomo pass and downstream on the other side. In both cases, however, it is better to plan a few stops to enjoy the unique territory and be inspired by the flow of the water.

1) If you start from Verbania, on the lakeside, the cycle path crosses the Fondotoce Special Nature Reserve. Here, in the midst of one of the largest reedbeds in the Verbano area, numerous bird species nest. A paradise for birdwatchers, with the Borromean Gulf as a backdrop on one side and the mountains of the Val Grande National Park on the other. In the background, the perennial snows of the Pennine Mountains reaching 4,000 metres.

2) From the placid waters of the reed thicket we climb to the impetuous waters that, in the Antigorio valley have carved the Uriezzo gorges over the millennia. These canyons project the visitor into a primordial environment: smooth rocks in winding paths, pools of clear water, alternating with rapids and waterfalls. A place providing unique emotion, reachable from Verampio di Crodo, Baceno or Premia.

3) Her Majesty the Toce Waterfall. In the Formazza Valley, its 143-metre drop caused the amazement of writers, artists and nobles in the 19th and 20th centuries, earning it the title of “the most beautiful and powerful waterfall in the Alps”. In the summer months, when the influx of water is at its highest, its 60-metre front creates a sublime wall of water. Reaching its 1,675-metre altitude, looking out from the overhanging viewpoint, in a cloud of steam amidst the roar and swirl of the waters, is one of the things to do at least once in your life in the Lake District.

Back to the original question: how fast does a drop of water travel in a river? Even without being a champion, starting with your MTB from the Toce waterfall, you should arrive at Lake Maggiore before our drop. With the river in full flood, however, it would be a challenge only for very experienced bikers. In that case, we would advise others to visit a museum on water. We also have that in the Lakes Tourism District.

Foto:

© Stefano Sacchelli

© Alessandro Pirocchi

© Unione Montana Alta Ossola

The Ossola Valleys are DOC lands, and not only in a metaphorical sense. Apart from the fact that it still exudes the authenticity of its inhabitants’ character and the flavours of their products, it also boasts three varieties of wine which have been awarded Denominazione d’Origine Controllata (Controlled Designation of Origin) status.

Interested in finding out more about Ossola wines? The grape varietals featured are Nebbiolo, Croatina, Merlot and Chardonnay. These varieties make Valli Ossolane DOC Bianco, Valli Ossolane DOC Rosso and DOC Nebbiolo (Prunent), including the Superiore wine range. In the 19th century, as in most parts of Europe, the vine-killing insect phylloxera destroyed most of the vineyards. With the accompanying development of industry, many of the terraces, which mark the landscape of the slopes closer to the valley floor, were abandoned and invaded by forests. In the last few decades, an ancient indigenous Nebbiolo vine, the Prunent, has been rediscovered, which has led to the enhancement of Ossola wine. Several vineyards were planted and between now and the first half of October the grapes that give life to Prunent are harvested.

To taste the 2021 harvest one will have to wait a few months for the whites, and a few years for the more refined reds. However, in the meantime, you can enjoy the colours and scents by cycling through the vineyards.

You can start from Masera, where the Grape Festival has been held for almost a century, and, after crossing the bridge over the Melezzo, climb up a steep asphalt road (Via Pello) to Trontano, from where you can descend along the Strada Vecchia to State Road 337. The route is surrounded by rows of vines and woods, with a view over Domodossola and the surrounding mountains, from Cistella to Moncucco.

Follow the SS 337 as far as Croppo di Trontano, cross the Mizzoccola bridge towards Domodossola and follow the signs for Sacro Monte Calvario. From here you can continue to the hamlets of Crosiggia and Quartero. From here you can descend to the plain and continue to Borgata Gabi Valle towards Villadossola, and then follow the signs for Tappia. Here too, in the shadows of the peaks that mark the boundaries of the Val Grande National Park, you will cycle among rows of vineyards that are tinged with yellow, orange and red in autumn.

The return journey can be along the same route or by crossing the Toce near Domo 2.

For those who have strong legs, there is a further loop to add to the excursion. From Masera, head north towards Montecrestese. Climb up to the hamlet of Lomese and then descend towards Roledo, from here the road runs alongside the river and you can return to Masera. Alternatively, continue north to the hamlet of Oira di Crevoladossola. You will cycle through vineyards, forests and examples of rural architecture. A landscape carved in stone and softened by Prunent grapes.

Photo Credits: Silvia Lorenzini, Marco Garrone, Jacopo Fontaneto