From Cuneo to the Stura Valley

From lovely Piazza Galimberti, the go-to meeting place in old Cuneo city centre, pedal down Via Pascal and then turn left at the roundabout and continue for several kilometres along Via Basse Sant’Anna, which leads west out of the city. Once past the tracks, which pass over the Soleri viaduct, the route crosses River Stura di Demonte on the Vassallo footbridge and into the Gesso and Stura River Park.

The first 10 kilometres of the itinerary take you through peaceful green countryside along Via Antica di Vignolo, past farmsteads and cultivated fields, in close contact with the River Stura and its connecting canals, to Vignolo. The itinerary follows the course of the River Stura and the ride is pleasant and relaxing towards Roccasparvera, a village with a medieval feel. In Roccasparvera, stop for a quick lunch at La Fame, an old wood-fired bakery that has been restored by two ambitious young people who sell not only bread and cakes but also baked ula, one of the tastiest and most traditional recipes from the Cuneo area.