Route description for Round trip Piedmont

Actually we wanted to visit the city of Pavia first, then drive to the parking space at the monastery and use it as an overnight stay. I had mixed up the coordinates for the navigation system and so we drove to the Certosa monastery as our next destination.

On arrival the pitch was almost empty. After the coffee break, we went to visit the monastery extensively. We also decided not to go any further to Pavia, but to spend the night on the pitch. Costs 16.- € with electricity / water and disposal.

The Certosa di Pavia is a monastery originally built for the Carthusian Order. The monastery is an extensive complex. In the small cloister next to the church, a terracotta statue crowns each column. Above are the arcades and towers of the church. The 23 monastery cells are grouped around the large cloister. They are arranged as identical houses around the large cloister. The monastery complex was built for 170 years. The magnificent facade of the monastery church "Madonna delle Grazie" is adorned with different colored marble, figures of saints, reliefs with biblical scenes.

Quiet place near the monastery. 16 euros per night is ok. There are toilets during the day and a small cafe on the square.

Nach einer ruhigen Nacht, fuhren wir weiter nach Pavia. Der Stellplatz hatte sich über Nacht voll belegt, es parkten weitere Wohnmobile am angrenzenden Parkplatz.

Der Parkplatz in Pavia war sehr gut anzufahren und überraschend ziemlich leer. (Parkplatz: GPS: 45.195770 9.152962 ) Wir waren erstaunt, dass an einem Werktag kein Stadtverkehr vorlag. Bei dem Stadtrundgang fiel uns auf des in Italien ein Feiertag war. 

Die erste Sehenswürdigkeit war das Visconti Kastell, eine viereckige Backsteinburg. Durch Zufall kamen wir zu den Geschlechtertürme hinter der Universität. Von den ehemals 200 Türme stehen nur noch drei Geschlechtertürme der freien Stadtrepublick des 12./13. Jh. Im weiteren Stadtrundgang suchten wir den Dom von Pavia der aus dem 15.Jh. stammt. Den Dom krönt eine mächtige Kuppel. Pavias Dom ist ein imposantes Bauwerk mit dem Grundriss in der Form eines griechischen Kreuzes. Wir machten noch einen Abstecher zum Fluß "Ticino" über den die Ponte Coperto die beiden Stadtteile verbindet. Eine friedliche Demo zog über die Brücke angeführt von einer Musikkapelle.

It was worth taking the detour to Casale Monferrato. Unfortunately, the outside of the cathedral was scaffolded and encased, but the inside of the cathedral is worth seeing. The cathedral surprises with a great vestibule that is unique in size. The wooden cross is platinum-plated with silver and comes from the Rhineland. We were very enthusiastic about this church, as well as the entire old town of this fantastic city.

Parking lot GPS: 45.136880,8.446998 (free)

The next stage on our round trip through Piedmont is Asti.

The city tour began at Campo del Palio. The spacious place is used for. Z. as a parking lot, ( GPS: 44.897301,8.210690) which will be transformed into the venue of the Palio in September. Past the “most important” building - the tax office, we first went through wonderful arcades to the church of San Secondo, which was consecrated to the eponymous saint, the patron saint of Asti, and is said to have been built on the spot where he was martyred in 119. We strolled through narrow streets and came to the Torre Comentina from the 13th century, one of the 12 remaining towers of the 125 that were occupied for the city in 1682. Torre Romana, a tower from the 1st century BC Chr .; it is the only significant testimony from Roman times. We also visited some remains of the medieval city wall in front of the baroque church of Santa Caterlina. We make our way to the cathedral, which is affectionately called the Rebstock Cathedral. The cathedral (cathedral) - Santa Maria Assunta - is the largest church complex in Piedmont and was built from 1309 to 1354. Stylized vine leaves surround the high pillars on which the three-aisled Gothic step hall rests. That we weren't the only Germans in Asti could be heard from the tour groups that were led through Asti. So we also got something historical during visits.

The last destination of today was the parking space ( GPS: 44.665401,8.472350) in Acqui Therme. The journey led across the hilly landscape of Asti, and when we got there it was almost full, only a few places were free. We parked next to a German camper that we could plug in our power cord. The power sockets on the square were all occupied by other campers. We didn't arrive until 6:30 p.m., after dinner we walked into the center of town. As soon as we arrived we saw that a festival was being held in the old town that we wanted to visit. It was no longer worth it, some stalls were already cleaning up. On this walk we got to know the city with its many old buildings, alleys and fountains. We did not find the hot spring from which the water comes out of the ground at around 73 ° C.

Today it started early, our destination is Savona, the city on the Ligurian Riviera. We are leaving Piedmont for one day. For the outward journey, we chose thoroughfares free of charge. In retrospect, we regretted it, potholes, curvy, narrow places where no two cars can pass each other.

GPS: 44.278198,8.441010

Not many people consider Savona a tourist destination, but even if you look closely, the city on the Ligurian Riviera offers much more than just a large and important port. The history and natural beauties do not disappoint, thanks also to the European Blue Flag recognition for the beaches that are among the best in Italy. The medieval center develops not far from the harbor and finds its main attraction in the Finess of Primar, south of the old dock, a 16th century fortress overlooking the sea. Then there are a number of towers along the streets, the most interesting of which are the 15th century Torretta, the Torre del Brandale, the Torre dei Corsi or the Torre Pancalda. Savona is also home to its own Sistine Chapel, built in honor of Pope Sixtus. It is adjacent to the Assumption Cathedral, which is famous for its beautiful neo-baroque facade, the wooden choir and the sacred works of art stored in it.

Cycling tour:

Upon arrival we got our bikes out of the garage and got ready for the bike tour. At first we drove on a nice bike path from the pitch, along the beach promenade, towards the center of Savona. Through the center it was a bit annoying with the heavy traffic, no precise route guidance until we came across a sign that showed the direction to the place of pilgrimage. From then on it was always uphill to the Sanctuary. When leaving, we hadn't considered that we would arrive at the church at lunchtime and that it could be closed then. And so it was, the doors were locked before our eyes. The sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, about 6 kilometers from the city, was built around the church that appeared in 1536 on the site of the apparition of Our Lady to Blessed Antonio Botta. The three-door baroque facade with three niches in which there are the statues of St. John the Baptist, St. John the Apostle and the Evangelist and the Virgin. We took a closer look at the facade and cycled back to Savona.

Back at the pitch there was a coffee break before we went on a little walk on the beach. The sea had high waves, the temperature was 16 ° C

In the evening there was a thunderstorm with hail, the grains were the size of a fingernail.

Today it was difficult for us to decide whether we should continue or spend another day at the sea. The decision to continue driving was the right one, we had seen the city and the sights, the wind couldn't swim and the water was too cool, the only thing that would have been remembered was the water and the sunny day. We didn't miss out on a short visit to the beach before heading back to the Piedmont region. We had chosen the Vicoforte pilgrimage church as the first destination for the day. This time we chose the motorway for the route, which brought us a time reduction of over an hour. On the drive we noticed that the landscape can be seen just as well as on the SS roads. I only knew the place of pilgrimage Vicoforte from the travel guide and what we encountered here exceeded everything we had read. Just looking at the approach made us curious.

Our next destination was Saluzzo, one of the most beautiful places in Piedmont. The GPS had first led us past the parking space, the parked mobile homes could be seen from the street. After turning, the navigation system led us over a roundabout to the parking space. (GPS: 44.637440,7.492572 free) We allowed ourselves a break before we went on an exploration tour. Old buildings line the narrow streets, and beyond the medieval roofs you can see green hills and the snow-capped peaks of the Alps. The city is divided into a lower modern part and the medieval-looking old town above on a Monviso foothill. At the end of the 16th century, Saluzzo was the center of a flourishing principality: today it is a bishopric. In the former fortifications high above you can visit several interesting churches, some of which are uniquely beautiful. You also have a wonderful overview of Saluzza, which is "at your feet". We strolled slowly downhill on poorly accessible cobblestone alleys and streets, only partially covered with narrow pavement slabs through the beautiful old town. In the more modern lower town, we paid a visit to the church of S. Giovanni from 1330 with the burial chapel of the Dukes of Saluzzo and cloister.

Parking: free

The onward journey to Cherasco was initially on the same route as the approach to Saluzzo. The last kilometers before Cherasco a 10% gradient with tight bends still had to be overcome. The most beautiful there in Piedmont, Cherasco towers on a hilltop. There were already several mobile homes in the free parking lot (GPS: 44.648800,7.854980). You can't name it there, it's a beautiful old town with a castle, a city wall with an archway and offers a wide view of the Piedmont hills.

When we were there, there was a flea market, a flower market at the castle and a deposit of old Celts in front of the city wall.

After an extensive tour of Cherasco, the arrival at the La Morra parking lot (GPS: 44.637699,7.928440) was delayed. When approaching the square, we thought everything was reserved, there was a garden chair on each square. We first parked our mobile home in an adjoining free area. The owner pointed us to a place where there was a chair on which we could stand the night. We spent the rest of the evening at the mobile home.

Parking fees: € 10 / 24h

We drove towards the city center, where there is a parking lot near the center. It was Sunday afternoon and the parking spaces we drove to were occupied. After a desperate search for a parking space, we found one at a large shopping center about 20 minutes from the center. I wasn't quite comfortable parking here, not far from our mobile home, gypsies were parked with a neglected motorhome without a license plate, with flat tires on the front wheel. They sat in a circle on the paved ground.

Turin is changing more and more from a gray industrial city to a dynamic metropolis that is home to history, art and culture. First we went to the main square of Turin, a large area around the Palazzo Madama and lined with the Palazzo Reale, the royal palace of the House of Savoy. We strolled past the theater - Teatro Regio - where opera performances take place. Via Garibaldi, Turin's most beautiful shopping street, which is the longest pedestrian zone in Europe.

After visiting Turin we drove to the parking lot San Michele. (GPS: 45.103001, 7.330320) We actually wanted to drive to the parking space, which was closed for inexplicable reasons. Not far away was a nice parking lot where we stayed for two nights. Without supply but free of charge. We refrained from visiting the site, the sun had already disappeared behind the mountains and we moved it to tomorrow with the hike connected.

The Piedmont city of Ivrea, a Roman foundation, is the gateway to the Valle d'Aosta. The townscape is dominated by the four-cornered 14th century castello. The Romanesque cathedral was built in the 10th century. has a classical facade. The church of San Bernhardino is located on the site of the former Olivetti typewriter factory. The Dora Balta River flows through the city.

Today we drive on our way to Biella over the Po, an imposing river and with 652 km also the longest in Italy. We parked in a large car park at the train station, a 30-minute walk to the center. By chance we passed the tourist information office, where we got a city map. The lady in the office was so nice and marked the way to the sights on the map. How could it be any different. it was noon again and the churches were closed. We had no choice but to look at the churches from the outside. Biella has a rich religious, cultural and artistic heritage. It is a country with a remarkable spirituality, as can be seen from the numerous places of worship such as the Marian Shrine of Oropa , one of the most important Marian shrines in Europe. Bielle is divided into two cores: Biella-Piazzo is the medieval village dominated by the magnificent Palazzo Cisterna and ancient churches. The cathedral is in Biella-Piano , the pre-Roman baptistery. The two parts of the city are connected by a cable car. Our city tour was limited to Biella piano.

Unser Ziel ist die Wallfahrtsstätte von Oropa, die wichtigste Wallfahrtskirche der Alpen, sie befindet sich in 1200 Metern Höhe und ist eng mit der Verehrung der Schwarzen Madonna verbunden.

Wir fanden Platz auf dem schöngelegenen Stellplatz mit Blick auf die Basilika und den Schneebedeckten Berge.

Der Sacro Monte besteht aus zwölf Kapellen, die dem Leben der Jungfrau gewidmet sind. Der ursprüngliche Entwurf umfasste einen Zyklus von zwanzig Kapellen, die eine umfangreiche erzählerische Darstellung von wichtigen Ereignissen aus dem Leben Marias bilden sollten. Beeindruckend ist der gute Zustand der Darstellungen in den Kapellen, geschaffen zwischen 1600 und 1640, sie waren immer verschlossen und können auch heute nur durch Gitter betrachtet werden.

Overnight on the San Berhardino

We use the detour to Hundwil to visit our relatives.