Valcerrina e dintorni

Along the Cerrina Valley, between steep climbs and fast descents on asphalted  and unpaved roads, we encounter  villages that rise between the scenic hills of Basso Monferrato Casalese: Blengi, Arduino, Perosio, Odalengo Grande, Vallestura, Piancerreto and Cerrina Valle.

Points of interest

Start from the parking lot adjacent to Via Casale Molino, the road leading to piazza Marcandà, or from the stop sign of via Casale Molino, take a right and after a few meters at the first intersection follow the sign for Varengo. Continue slightly uphill to the fork, turn left for Blengi. Continue uphill on a tarmac road for about 1.5 km, then take the dirt road from the end of the tarmac and after about 100 m turn left downhill on an unpaved road (*), reaching a small church and the village of Perosio. Once again, you will be on a tarmac road on a very fast descent (be CAREFUL you can easily reach up to 60 kmh.). At the end of the descent turn right onto Ss 590 and continue until you notice the road sign on the right for Montalero, an uphill road. At the square follow the signs for Rifredda, (slightly downhill). Still on tarmac, go through the village exiting downhill onto a mixed gravel dirt road (which is rideable even when wet) for about 900m until reaching another village where the dirt road ends. Continue uphill and at the first crossroad turn left and after a few meters left again at the second crossroad, a last effort for the steepest stretch of the route arriving at Odalengo Grande (310 m above sea level). There is a bar here and if it is open you can quench your thirst and do a bit of sightseeing in the only street of the village that offers a lovely view of the valley and of the opposite hills. From here the journey continues with a fast and lovely descent (be CAREFUL, we recommend you keep to the right ) which passes from Vallestura and reaches to the Ss590. At the stop turn left, (you will find Torre San Quilico which dates back to the 12th century, it was the bell tower of the ancient Church of San Quilico which no longer exists). Continue straight on in the direction of Cerrina Valle, until you notice the road sign for Piancerreto on the right, (for those who have had enough, continue to Cerrina valley to end the tour.) But let's stay on the trail and climb up to Piancerreto to see the panorama from the other hill. Once in Piancerreto, on the left between a private home and the Circolo, is an unpaved downhill road that leads back to our starting point in Cerrina Valle, to the stop sign on the right and to the parking lot.  (*) This stretch leading to Perosio is to be avoided for a few days after rainy periods.               (itinerary geomapped by Claudio Trombin)

Departure, arrival and municipalities crossed

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