Trekking in the Monferrato: walking among vineyards, villages and new discoveries

The landscape, one hill at a time

By walking in the Monferrato you learn to recognize distances in a different way. A bell tower that seemed far away in the morning becomes a square in which to stop. From the next climb you can turn around and find the town you just left, this time inserted into the wider design of the hills. It is a continuous approach and departure that makes even an itinerary without large altitudes interesting.

The roads between the crops alternate with valley floors, farmhouses, woods and inhabited centers. A country church or a scenic curve offers good reasons to break the pace. For those who love photography, the journey begins right here: observing how the light, the points of view and the relationship between a building and the landscape that surrounds it change.

Choose an excursion that also leaves room for these moments. Repeated climbs may require more energy than the kilometers alone suggest; a program proportionate to your preparation allows you to arrive with still the desire to explore.

Where to walk in Monferrato

The Casalese area, from one village to the next

In the Casalese Monferrato the path often interacts with the villages on the hills. Vignale, Olivola, Ottiglio and Moleto are among the places you can get to know by following the itineraries in the area. Approaching on foot allows you to understand its position, recognize the connections with the countryside and cross the streets with enough time to look around.

If you want to combine a visit to a winery or an infernot, look for an offer in the same area and organize it as a part of the day. To enter the infernot, organize the visit with the owners or with the village representatives.

The Asti area, between squares, vineyards and nature

In the Asti area you can build the exit around a town or a natural area. Moncalvo offers an example of the first approach: you start from the center and find the hills through country roads, vineyards and farmhouses. The return leaves the possibility of stopping in the streets of the village and completing the day at the table.

For a walk in the countryside, also learn more about the itineraries associated with the Rocchetta Tanaro Natural Park. The attention changes: from the broad panorama to the details of the forest, from the architecture of the villages to the terrain and vegetation that accompany the path.

L'Acquese, go up to broaden your gaze

Around Acqui Terme, the routes can alternate between wooded slopes, ridges and small inhabited areas. From Visone, the Sentiero della Torre leads towards Monte Menno, with a path that invites you to progressively gain a more open perspective on the territory.

It's an area worth considering if you like hikes that change environments along the way. In the stretches in the woods the landscape gathers together; Having reached an open point, he lies back in front of you. Explore the municipalities of Monferrato to choose which location to start from.

Three excursions to plan

Vignale–Moleto: the pleasure of reaching the villages on foot

The stage of the Monferrato degli Infernot from Vignale to Moleto measures 12.6 kilometres, with 396 meters of positive altitude difference. The route meets Olivola and Ottiglio and reaches Moleto, where the Romanesque church of San Michele adds a final reason to stop.

Between one town and another, the story continues in the valley bottoms and on the cultivated ridges. It is worth turning around: the towns crossed reappear in the landscape and help give shape to the journey undertaken. The approximately three hours indicated are a reference guide, to be extended for photographs and visits. The route alternates asphalt and dirt, includes sections on provincial roads and requires organizing the return from Moleto. Open the Vignale–Moleto route.

Moncalvo: a ring with the town in the center

The Truffle Path starts from Piazza Carlo Alberto and takes you out of Moncalvo, among vineyards, farmhouses and small churches, before returning to the town. The Belvedere Bonaventura and the streets of the center deserve their own time, at the beginning or at the end of the outing.

The card shows 8.5 kilometres, approximately 250 meters of climb and approximately three hours. The route includes asphalt, dirt road and crossings of provincial roads; It is not suitable for strollers. For a day that combines walking and discovery of the village, find out more about the Truffle Trail.

Visone: from the tower to the Acquese woods

The medieval tower marks the beginning of a hike that goes up towards the ridge and Monte Menno. Along the development of the route you come across Santa Croce and the Rio Tassere circuit, between villages and vegetation.

The indicated distance is 11.29 kilometres, with approximately three hours of walking. Narrow tracks, vegetation and a ford in the circuit require attention to current conditions, especially after rain. Consult the Tower Path to prepare for the exit and recognize the different passages on the map.

When a walk becomes a journey

After an initial day, the desire to continue may arise, connecting the towns through several stages. The Monferrato Grand Trail, also presented on the site in the Grande Cammino section, offers a structure of 382 kilometers and 18 stages to explore according to the days available.

You can choose a continuous stretch and give your stay the rhythm of a journey on foot: reach a town in the evening, stop, leave again the next morning. Accommodation, water, connections and updated tracks become part of the preparation. Discover the paths in Monferrato to understand how to organize this experience.

Choose the season and complete the day

In spring the landscape changes to new greens; in autumn the vineyards and woods invite you to return to already familiar paths. In summer you can dedicate the first few hours to walking, evaluating shade and water availability. In winter, weather, visibility and hours of light help choose the day and length of the itinerary.

A visit to the cellar, an accompanied activity or a stop in the village can complete the excursion. Among the site's proposals you will also find a visit with tasting to Rosignano Monferrato and a guided excursion to Castelletto Molina: they are experiences in different locations, to be combined only when travel permits. Explore the available experiences and leave a margin between the end of the journey and the chosen appointment.