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Piedmont is one of the most complete and fascinating Italian regions for cycling tourism. From the plains along the Po River to the hills of the Langhe, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and up to the major Alpine routes in the Cuneo area, cycling paths in Piedmont offer routes suitable for every experience level. Whether you are a beginner looking for flat and safe trails or an experienced cyclist seeking challenging elevation changes and panoramic gravel roads, this region meets every need.
In recent years, the Piedmont cycling network has grown significantly thanks to regional projects and major national routes like the VENTO Cycle Route and EuroVelo 8. This has made Piedmont a true reference point for cycling tourism in Italy, with over 2,000 km of marked routes including urban, riverine, hilly, and mountain paths.
At Cicli Mattio, with our shop in Piasco (CN) in the heart of the Cuneo area, we experience firsthand the extraordinary variety of this territory. In this guide, we take you to discover the best cycle routes from Turin to Cuneo: you will find iconic routes, a detailed comparison to choose the itinerary most suitable for you, and all practical advice on the best time to visit, bike rental, and recommended equipment for safe and comfortable riding.
Piedmont is the second largest region in Italy by area, and this vastness is reflected in the extraordinary variety of its cycling network. It's not just about numbers: here cycling is culture, landscape, and a way of life. Cycling in Piedmont means crossing UNESCO-listed vineyards, following Alpine rivers, climbing hills with views of Monte Viso, and getting lost among medieval villages that no car can truly reach like a bike.
The region has invested heavily in the development of cycling infrastructure, making it today a key hub for major national and European routes. This means that wherever you are, you will almost always find a marked, safe, and enjoyable route nearby.
Piedmont has over 2,000 km of marked cycling paths, including urban routes and cycling tourism itineraries. Turin alone has about 200 km of urban cycling network, while numerous cycle routes connect the main provinces, from the Verbano lakes to the Maritime Alps of Cuneo.
Variety is the true strength of Piedmont. In this region, the following coexist:
The simple answer is: everyone. The detailed answer is that every type of cyclist finds their perfect environment:
Piedmont occupies a strategic position in the Italian cycling tourism landscape: it is the entry point from the western side, the natural link between the Alpine arc and the Po Valley. It is no surprise that two of Italy's and Europe's most important cycle routes pass right through here.
The VENTO Cycle Route (VENice-TOrino) is one of the most ambitious cycling tourism projects in Italy: approximately 680 km following the Po River's course from the regional capital to the Delta, crossing five regions. The Piedmont section starts in Turin and develops eastward along the Po bank, with a predominantly paved or compacted surface and practically no elevation change.
It is a route designed for slow cycling tourism: suitable for families, the elderly, those new to touring bikes, or anyone who simply wants to enjoy the landscape without worrying about watts. E-bikes are particularly recommended, as they allow covering longer distances without fatigue. Along the route, there are food stops, bike hotels, and cycling tourism services that are increasingly structured thanks to public investments in recent years.
EuroVelo 8 is the Mediterranean cycle route connecting Athens to Cadiz via over 5,800 km. In Italy, it enters from the French border and crosses lower Piedmont, touching the provinces of Cuneo and Alessandria before heading down to Liguria. The route alternates paved sections on secondary roads with gravel sections, with a medium elevation change requiring some training.
For those used to riding gravel bikes, it is an extraordinary experience: the landscape changes continuously, from the rice paddies of Novara to the hills of Alba up to the first foothills of the Maritime Alps of Cuneo. The best time to visit is spring, when temperatures are mild and the fields are in bloom.
Every Piedmont province has its own cycling identity. Knowing them helps you choose the area most suitable for your goals, your level, and the type of bike you have available.
Turin is the cycling capital of Piedmont. The city has invested massively in soft mobility over the last two decades and now offers an integrated network that allows movement almost everywhere by bike, with direct connections to extra-urban routes.
The Turin urban network has about 200 km of cycling paths, many of them along the city's waterways: the Po, the Dora Riparia, and the Sangone. The riverbanks in Turin are among the most pleasant tracks in Italy for an urban ride: wide, well-maintained, separated from traffic, and dotted with green areas.
The Corona Verde ring is the project that best summarizes Turin's cycling vision: a pedestrian and cycling path encircling the city, connecting the Savoy residences, historic parks, and municipalities in the metropolitan belt.
Just outside the city, a wide range of possibilities opens up:
The Cuneo area is undoubtedly the richest cycling province in Piedmont. From here, every morning you can choose between dozens of completely different routes, from the plains towards Saluzzo to the 2,700 meters of Colle dell'Agnello.
The Maritime Alps and the Cottian Alps offer legendary climbs, military roads transformed into gravel paradises, and technical MTB trails through forests and high mountain pastures. But Cuneo is not just mountains: the Saluzzo plain and the hills of the Braidese area are ideal territory for slow cycling tourism, with secondary roads through villages and farms that preserve the most authentic character of rural Piedmont.
The symbol route of Cuneo remains the Via del Sale, but it is worth mentioning the Maira cycle route, the Monviso loop, and the Valle Stura paths: all itineraries that would deserve a dedicated guide.
Monferrato is the territory of slowness. Here you don't go fast, you go well: the rolling hills between Asti and Alessandria invite a contemplative cycling rhythm, with constant stops to admire the vine rows, castles on top of the hills, and villages where time seems to have stopped in the 1950s.
The surface is mixed: asphalt on main sections, unpaved on farm roads between vineyards. The climbs and descents are continuous but never extreme. It is a perfect territory for road bikes on paved routes or for gravel when you want to explore the interior. The UNESCO landscapes of the Barbera and Moscato Hills make every ride a small gastronomic trip: it is hard to resist the temptation to stop at a winery.
The VCO province is a perfect blend of lake cycling tourism and Alpine adventure. Along the shores of Lake Maggiore and Lake Orta, panoramic routes develop almost entirely flat, for classic cycling tourism, with views of the water and stops in lakeside villages. Stresa, Verbania, Orta San Giulio: names that evoke an elegant and romantic Italy, irresistible to explore by bike.
Heading inland, the Alpine valleys of VCO offer good technical MTB tracks, with Val Vigezzo and Val Formazza as privileged destinations for those who love unpaved trails.
The Piedmont less known to the general cycling tourism public hides paths of great charm:
Among the many cycling itineraries in Piedmont, some have earned a place in the Olympus of national cycling tourism.
The Via del Sale is perhaps the most fascinating cycling route in the entire Piedmont. It is an ancient mule track that connected the Alpine communities of Cuneo to the Ligurian salt markets. A vital commercial axis for centuries, today transformed into one of the great classics of Italian Alpine cycling tourism.
The main track develops over 1,800 meters of altitude, on unpaved surface, connecting Limone Piemonte with Monesi di Triora. The length varies from 30 to 100 km depending on the section chosen and the connections decided to be included. The total elevation change is significant: it is not a route for beginners, but for trained cyclists equipped with a good MTB or an e-MTB capable of handling uneven surfaces and technical sections.
The Via del Sale is passable from June to September: snow closes the highest passes for most of the year. The advice is to choose the first weeks of July or the end of August: the refuges are open, the weather is stable, and the colors of the Alpine landscape are at their peak beauty.
The Corona Verde is the most ambitious pedestrian and cycling project of the Turin metropolitan area: a 93 km ring surrounding the city at varying distances, connecting the main Savoy residences (Venaria Reale, Stupinigi, Rivoli, Moncalieri) through parks, green areas, and ecological corridors.
The route is almost entirely flat and on asphalt, making it suitable for everyone: families with children, occasional cyclists, runners, and walkers. It is one of the rare cases where a cycling tourism route crosses a large metropolitan area without almost ever crossing traffic, thanks to dedicated lanes, low-traffic roads, and river parks.
The Corona Verde can be ridden in its entirety in one day by trained cyclists, or tackled in stages on the weekend.
The Langhe and Roero are the quintessential hilly territory of southern Piedmont, declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2014 for its extraordinary winemaking landscapes. By bike, this territory transforms into a multisensory experience: the air scented with must in autumn, the tender green of vineyards in spring, the silence of white roads between La Morra and Castiglione Falletto.
The routes are of medium difficulty: elevation is constant but rarely extreme, and climbs are almost always rewarded with open descents on unforgettable views. The surface is mixed: asphalt on main sections, unpaved on farm roads between vine rows. Ideal territory for gravel bikes or a sturdy road bike that doesn't shun unpaved sections.
The advice is to plan outings in spring (April-May) or in autumn during the harvest (September-October): these are the times when the Langhe are most beautiful and the villages animated by events, festivals, and tastings.
The Piedmont section of the VENTO Cycle Route develops from Turin eastward, along the Po bank, for about 100 km up to the border with Lombardy. It is a fluid route, almost devoid of elevation changes, on compacted or paved surface. The classic route suitable for everyone that makes cycling tourism accessible even to those who don't have climber's legs.
Along the Po, you cross protected natural areas, small lakeside villages, and nature reserves rich in wildlife. It is an excellent route also for touring e-bikes or trekking bikes loaded with panniers. The simplicity of the track allows you to devote yourself completely to the pleasure of cycling and observing the landscape.
The Piedmont section of EuroVelo 8 crosses lower Piedmont, connecting the French border (Colle di Tenda) to the provinces of Cuneo and Alessandria, with branches towards Liguria. It is an international itinerary of great scope, alternating paved secondary roads with gravel sections, with a medium elevation change requiring some training.
Those who ride EuroVelo 8 in Piedmont find themselves crossing very different landscapes in a few kilometers: the alluvial plains of the Tanaro, the first hills of Monferrato, the historic centers of Cuneo and Alba. A showcase of the most authentic Piedmont, far from mass tourism routes.
Monferrato on two wheels is an experience worth the journey. Continuous climbs and descents between medieval villages, castles, and the endless vineyards of the UNESCO landscape. The surface is predominantly asphalt on secondary roads, with some unpaved sections through farm roads between vine rows.
It is a perfect territory for road bikes or gravel bikes. The elevation is challenging but never desperate: constant changes of pace between climbs and descents that reward cyclists with panoramic views.
Choosing the right bike is crucial not just for performance, but for safety and enjoyment. Piedmont's varied terrain requires a flexible approach.
The choice depends primarily on the type of route and your riding style:
At Cicli Mattio in Piasco, we can help you choose the right equipment for your specific route: from classic touring bikes to robust e-MTB, we have experience in all areas.
For a safe and comfortable cycling outing in Piedmont, the following accessories are indispensable:
The best time to ride in Piedmont is spring and autumn. Spring (April-June) brings mild temperatures, blooming fields, and the first green of the hills. Autumn (September-October) is perhaps the best time to visit the Langhe and Monferrato, when the harvest is underway and the colors are at their peak beauty.
Summer in Piedmont can be very hot, especially in the Po Valley. Early mornings and evenings are recommended for summer cycling, or choosing higher-altitude routes in the Cuneo mountains, where temperatures are always more pleasant.
In winter, most routes are inaccessible due to snow, except for lower valley areas where temperatures remain moderate. In the Cuneo mountains, only experienced alpine cyclists with winter equipment can venture out.
Piedmont has a growing bike rental market, especially in the main cycling areas:
If you are in the Cuneo area and need advice on equipment or specific accessories for a route, pass by our shop in Piasco: we are always available to help!
The best cycling routes in Piedmont are the Via del Sale (Cuneo-Liguria), the Corona Verde of Turin (93 km), the Langhe-Roero paths through UNESCO vineyards, the VENTO Cycle Route along the Po, and EuroVelo 8 in lower Piedmont.
In Piedmont there are over 2,000 km of marked cycling paths, including urban routes and extra-urban cycling tourism itineraries. The network is in continuous expansion thanks to regional and European funding.
Turin has about 200 km of urban cycling network, with dedicated paths along the city's waterways and numerous sections in dedicated lanes separated from motor traffic.
The Corona Verde of Turin is a ring around the city that follows the municipal boundaries at varying distances, connecting the main Savoy residences through green areas and parks. It is accessible from all directions, with multiple access points.
Absolutely. The Corona Verde is a flat, paved route suitable for everyone, including families with children, the elderly, and occasional cyclists. It is one of the safest cycling routes in the Piedmont metropolitan area.
The best routes for families are the Corona Verde of Turin, the VENTO Cycle Route in Piedmont, the river paths along the Po and Dora, and the low-elevation routes in the Saluzzo plain. These are flat, safe, with frequent rest stops and amenities.
The Cuneo area offers the most varied routes in Piedmont: the Via del Sale (alpine unpaved, expert level), the Maira and Varaita Valley paths (gravel and MTB), the Colle dell'Agnello climb (one of the highest in Europe), the Saluzzo plain (family cycling tourism), and the trails of the Maritime Alps (technical MTB).
No, the Via del Sale is closed in winter due to snow at high altitudes. It is generally open from June to September, depending on the weather and snowmelt. Always check current conditions before setting out.
The Via del Sale has medium-high difficulty due to the elevation gain (1,800+ meters) and the unpaved, technical nature of the surface. It is recommended for trained cyclists with a good MTB or e-MTB.
Yes, the Cuneo mountains are well marked, especially the main cycle routes like the Via del Sale, the Maira cycle route, and the high-altitude paths. However, in the most technical sections, a GPS is recommended as signage is not always perfect.
Yes, most Trenitalia trains allow bicycles, though reservations may be required during peak times. Regional trains on lines like Turin-Cuneo, Turin-Susa, and Turin-Chieri allow bicycles without reservation. For high-speed trains, reservations are mandatory.
Piedmont has an extensive network of Bike Hotels certified to host cyclists, especially in the Langhe, Monferrato, and along the VENTO Cycle Route. These offer safe bike storage, workshop equipment, wash services, tailored meals, and local route information.
The main cycling routes have some cycle workshops guaranteeing emergency interventions: punctures, chain breaks, mechanical problems. Before starting a long or demanding route, it is always recommended to bring a basic repair kit.
At Cicli Mattio in Piasco, we have a fully equipped workshop ready to assist both locals and cyclists traveling through the Cuneo area. We can provide repairs, maintenance, and specific advice for any route.
Choosing Piedmont for your next cycling trip means choosing diversity, authenticity, and a territory where cycling is not just a sport but a way of experiencing the land. Every km offers a new landscape: from the Po to the Maritime Alps, from the UNESCO vineyards to the medieval villages of the Langhe.
The cycling infrastructure is growing, the routes are safe and well-signaled, and the local culture is increasingly welcoming to cyclists. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced cyclist, a road or MTB enthusiast, there is a route in Piedmont waiting for you.
We at Cicli Mattio in Piasco are always happy to provide personalized advice, equipment for hire, and specific recommendations for routes in the Cuneo area. Come and experience for yourself the unique charm of cycling in Piedmont.
Don't wait to discover the Piedmont that a bike can truly reveal. Choose your route, choose your bike, and start your cycling adventure in one of the most fascinating cycling territories in Europe.
