The second stage proposed starts from Caluso (via San Clemente – 320m asl), on the back of the hill on which the ancient castle once stood, now called “Castellazzo”. The Trail starts just past the crest of the hill, on the right, along the dirt track which skirts the wall of the dwelling therein, keeping the dwelling on your left. From here, hikers can enjoy a very beautiful section of the Itinerary which, following a sinuous route along the west-east axis characterised by gentle ups and downs, crosses some of the most beautiful vineyards of Erbaluce of the area: we point out several exciting panoramic views from which the view extends as far as the Serra of Ivrea, to the Castle of Masino and, closer, to the town of Candia and to the hamlet of Barengo di Mazzè. After approx. 750 m from Via San Clemente, the route goes onto a very beautiful cart track that represents the old road that allowed to connect Caluso to Vische: turn right and climb again for a few hundred metres and turn right at a votive aedicule, along a road that again skirts several exquisite vineyards. At approx. 1300 m from the departure point in Caluso, the two ever-coinciding Itineraries SPB and AV (main track) cross the SP 84 (at km 0.3) which from Caluso descends to the Lake of Candia and takes to Vische. Passed the SP 84, at an altitude of 300 m asl, the Trail turns left around a recently built construction and climbs back up the hill that separates Caluso from Mazzè, so-called of the “tre doss” due to the ups and downs of the altitudes over which this hilly track runs. The section in question, after passing several vineyards, enters a dense chestnut-dominated coppice forest, where, especially in the winter period, it is possible to appreciate some panoramic points over the Lake of Candia below, until you come out on a wide dirt track that connects Mazzè (Via Possoglio) to its hamlet of Cascina Motta: from here, it is possible to easily reach the village of Mazzè about 1 km away. Turning right, shortly after an irrigation ditch, you pass the branch of the historic and well-known State-Canal of Caluso. Take the north-west/south-east route in a valley called della Motta (270m asl) characterised on the left by several lovely sloping and interesting meadows as a clear sign of the consequences of the effect of the Balteo glacier: it represents one of the characteristic “overflows” along which, in brief, meltwater flowed outwards from the basin formerly occupied by the glacier. Shortly after, the Trail turns left again descending initially to the valley before climbing again and crossing first a short section of the paved road that comes from the cemetery of Mazzè and descends towards the hamlet of Barengo. After 700 m, a new section of wider paved road, the SP 81, connects Mazzè to Vische (295m asl). We point out that along this part of the Trail, deviating from the official track it is possible to easily reach the beautiful Castle of Mazzè with its historical village and the Parish Church or Monte Bicocca (341m asl) gentle dominant relief behind the Castle, panoramic point of exceptional beauty from where the view can sweep as far as the eye can see at 270°: on one side, the Serra of Ivrea with the Biellese Alps behind; on the other, the entire plain of Turin with the City of Turin and the Monviso in the background; in the middle, steeply overhanging before our eyes, the Dora Baltea with the so-called “Mazzè Dam” and the Naviglio Canal of Ivrea with its “Casotto della Maddalena” (the grit trap appears to have been designed by Leonardo Da Vinci); in the foreground, the Castle of Mazzè with the steep “Roca Pla” at its side and the historical village of Mazzè.Here, it is necessary to make a small geographical/morphological precision. The so-called “frontal” moraine of the Morenic Amphitheatre of Ivrea makes a very gentle curve on the area interested by the SPB Itinerary. If we proceed from west to east, it touches the villages of Montalenghe, Orio C.se, Mercenasco, Barone C.se, Candia C.se, Caluso, arriving to Mazzè where it is carved and interrupted by the course of the River Dora Baltea (right under Monte Bicocca), before continuing to Villareggia and Moncrivello, towns crossed by “Stage 3” of the Sentiero delle Pietre Bianche called “Villareggia-Villareggia”. Returning to the Trail (SPB and AV which are still coinciding), crossed the SP 81 at 295 m asl, the Trail very quickly abandons the asphalt and goes right on to a narrow cart track downhill which follows a west-east pattern and heads towards the Cascine “Viscano” of Vische entering a lovely mixed deciduous woodland with some fine oak trees.After approximately 1200 m from the SP our SPB Itinerary leaves the AV Itinerary (main track) which detaches itself bending right and climbs back up a modest difference in altitude to head towards the Dora Baltea and the bridge of the SP 595 that allows it to be crossed. The present section of AV listed with code ETOP102 allows the connection between this Stage of the Sentiero delle Pietre Bianche and the routes described in “Stage 3” of the Sentiero delle Pietre Bianche. Furthermore, thanks to this section, the AV gives hikers the opportunity to reach several interesting archaeological sites of Mazzè, which can be visited at a few hundred metres from the track of the AV thanks to specific signposted guided routes. 

Returning to the junction in which the SPB Itinerary leaves the AV Itinerary, at 245 m asl, our track proceeds downhill on a gentle bend to the left to continue more or less in a west-east direction and cross several clearings and fruit orchards. The track descends immersed in the cool hilly forest, at the most depressed point it passes several resurgences and, climbing, it reaches the village of “Viscano Superiore” at 235 m asl. From here, proceed on a paved but absolutely delightful section far from vehicle traffic, continuing in a south-north direction parallel to the nearby course of the River Dora Baltea to cross the farmhouses of “Viscano Inferiore”. 1500 m further on, it reaches SP 81 (at km 17.6) close to the entrance to Vische where a votive aedicule called “Capela at Pignuchin” stands out, 243 m asl. From Castellazzo of Caluso to this point it is approximately 7.6 km; entering the town of Vische, it is possible to stop and stock up on water and local delicacies.

The itinerary from Vische, crossed the SP at km 17.6, at “Capela at Pignuchin”, continues in an east-west direction skirting for a long stretch the wall of a historical villa of Vische. Following a trend parallel to the so-called “Vische plateau” over a wide dirt track, it descends from the main moraine between Caluso and Mazzè to widen over the area on which stands the Hamlet of Barengo di Mazzè as far as the settlement of Vische. The Trail continues in an east-west direction through several croplands and, at approximately 560 m from SP 81, it abandons the wide dirt track and bends to the left on a narrow track with natural surface that leads towards the foot of the hill. From here, proceed parallel to the trend of the gentle relief on a sinuous track that proceeds on more or less constant altitudes immersed in the green of the mixed deciduous forest dominated by hazelnut trees with beautiful oak trees here and there. After 1500m from the dirt track along the wall, skirt Cascina Deserta, an ancient farmhouse that is still lived in. Shortly after, you reach the so-called “Fontana del Principe”, a resurgence that until a few years ago supplied water to the nearby Cascina Deserta. At approx. 2750 m asl from the village of Vische – “Capela at Pignuchin” the Itinerary reaches the SP 84 of the Lake of Candia (239 m asl) from where it is possible to choose between two different possibilities: the main itinerary does not cross the paved road and proceeds keeping left and climbing in the direction of the Hamlet of Barengo di Mazzè; vice versa, crossing the SP 84 and taking the road immediately opposite there is the possibility to follow the so-called variant “del Parco Naturale del Lago di Candia” (code ETOP105A).

The latter always allows to reach the destination of the Itinerary “Lago di Candia – zona Lido” but it gives the possibility to enter the Protected Area of the Natural Park of the Lake of Candia, offering the possibility to access all the Trails of the Park inside the Wetland. Very briefly, proceeding along this variant, continue on a wide section of dirt track for about 900 m and then turn left on a cart track with natural surface rather ruined by the passage of farm vehicles which allows to circumnavigate the lake first from the east and then from the north without ever fully enjoying its beauty, considering the strip of reeds that is very important from a naturalistic point of view and characterises its entire perimeter. 2560 m after crossing the SP 84 you return to a wide, well-trodden dirt road coming from the nearby hamlet of “Cascina Rossi” of Candia C.se. Shortly after, you cross the heart of the protected area from which numerous trails depart that allow to fully appreciate its natural beauty and uniqueness. After 3.6 km, this variant ends close to the junction below the railway station of Candia C.se (234 m asl), already described at the start of the first stage of the Itinerary; from here, turning right, after 1150 m you reach the Lake of Candia, in zona Lido, at the municipal picnic area – the Itinerary ends here.

Returning to the SP 84 at the fork in the route, resume the description continuing along the main track of the SPB Itinerary. In this case, it is not necessary to cross the SP but to proceed uphill keeping on your left along a first wide and then increasingly narrower track that climbs a very impressive gully immersed in the green of the hilly vegetation. The climb continues along the margin of the small “Vische plateau” to a section in which it levels out. On the right it is possible to admire the nearby lake; you are 200 m as the crow flies from the lake in a position of 270 m asl, about 40 m higher than the level of the water, very picturesque and with absolute dominance over the Lake. A short distance on, having left the dense woodland to enter the open spaces immersed between the croplands, at 800 m asl from the SP 84 and an altitude of 282 m asl, skirt the hamlet of Barengo which can be easily visited with a small detour. In particular, at approximately 450 m from the Trail, we highlight the presence of the Church dedicated to Saints Orso and Barnaba dating, in its original form, to the early 17^th century; at its side, we signal the presence of a convenient water point. 

Returning to the original track, after skirting the Hamlet of Barengo di Mazzè, the Itinerary bends right along a few beautiful vineyards. It descends the plateau to enter the so-called “Motta Valley” heading first towards the Cascina “Nuova della Motta” and then towards Cascina “Palantina”. Along the entire section, the open spaces and the sinuous nature of the hill and of the valley below guarantee exceptional panoramic views of Lake Candia and the Moraine circle behind on which stands out the settlement of Candia with its Castle, the Tower of San Michele and the Church of Santo Stefano. Passed Cascina Palantina on its right, after a first section in open space, the track bends left immersing itself again into dense woodland. After 2.5 km from the fork of the Itinerary between “Variante del Parco Naturale” and main track, the Trail arrives back in the territory of Caluso where, having crossed the SP 84 at 256 m asl, it returns to climb immersed among typical vineyards.

In this section, the track follows a meandering route full of detours that unravels among vineyards, meadows and woodlands, more or less parallel to the track already covered in the opposite direction (in the direction of Mazzè) after having left Castellazzo, but further south and positioned at an altitude of approx. 25/30 m lower. Passed the area dominated by vineyards the Trail progressively descends and, bending northwards, enters a beautiful dirt track paved in sections, old connection way between Caluso and Candia C.se from which, now in Candia, detaches itself turning sharply right, bending east, to descend in the direction of the Lake. Passed the railway thanks to a characteristic underpass in solid bricks, the track reaches close to the Lake where after 6.3 km from Vische, at 230 m asl, the present stage of the trail ends closing the ring undertaken with “Stage 1”.

See "Stage 1"

Itinerary code: SPB
Recommended period: All year with the exclusion of the hottest months of July and August
Historical interest: Yes
Access by public transport: Yes
Provinces crossed: Torino