GTL - Grande Traversata delle Langhe - Stage 13: Pavaglione - Castino | Lake Maggiore, Lake Orta, Lake Mergozzo and Ossola Valleys

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Highlights and tour details

Route from Pavaglione, quintessential place of Fenoglio, to arrive in Castino, in the heart of the truest Upper Langa.

Depart from Pavaglione, symbolic place which recalls the “malora” of Fenoglio, today destination of literature enthusiasts, a delightful place for a trip from the city. From here, you can also reunite with the Langa del Vino (Wine Langa) and the route of the Bar to Bar.

Beyond the village, on the left, the trail resumes the crest to continue among the trees up to the small cemetery of San Bovo and, then, redescends on a paved road. Turned left, reach the romantic hamlet of Castino, immersed in forests.

San Bovo is the favourite walk of people from Alba, who know they will also find a friendly house with a tavern, rooms and bar at the bottom, as well as a horse-riding tourism company for gallops in the Belbo Valley. Its steep forests conceal secrets of mushrooms and truffles which hunters jealously guard in secret notebooks, coded as perhaps only the “Libro del Commando” of the legendary Masche (the mischievous spirits of the Langhe forests).

From the bottom of the square of San Bovo take the dirt road which, steeply, takes to the rio Grazie (the last section is paved, and you stay on the left). Opposite you can still see well one of the three monasteries of Castino, the female one of the Grazie, today a private farmhouse. Higher up on the ridge on the right you catch a glimpse of the one of San Martino, today a livestock farm; the third, the Benedictine one, awaits in the village. Having reached the rio, go passed it on a “U” shaped bend (with the sign San Bovo) and resume the dirt track to the left to reach the Belbo Valley on the state road.

Cross it to take via Molina and, having passed the bridge over the Belbo, climb a paved road for approx. 1 km to reach an ancient fortress with a medieval garrison and archway with coat of arms. To the right, take the cobbled mule track which climbs steeply to the village of Castino, among meadows and hazelnuts (it crosses a paved road a few times, but in actual fact, it runs straight like all mule tracks).

Attractions

The Routes of Fenoglio Castino : Benedectine Monastery.

Other information

Source: Unione Montana Alta Langa
Itinerary code: GTL
Recommended period: Apr - Nov
Access by public transport: Yes
Classification: Medium and low mountain provincial
Provinces crossed: Langhe Monferrato e Roero

Departure, arrival and municipalities crossed

Departure

Località San Bovo
Pavaglione
12050 Castino (CN)
Cuneo

see on map

Arrival

Via Perletto
Castino
12050 Castino (CN)
Cuneo

see on map

Links

http://www.langheroero.it/

Lake Maggiore, Lake Orta, Lake Mergozzo and Ossola Valleys