An itinerary that crosses the Villar San Costanzo basin offering excellent views of the Ligurian and Maritime Alps. An easy route that takes place at the foot of Mount San Bernardo mainly on asphalted roads with some short dirt stretches, perfect for walking, cycling or even running.

Reach Morra del Villar. Leave the car in the car park on Via 24 Maggio a few tens of meters after the parish church going in the direction of Busca.

Head west passing the entrance to the parish church. Immediately afterwards turn right onto via Combale. Thirty meters further, after crossing a canal, turn left at the foot of the chapel of Sant’Antonio which dominates on a higher hill.

Follow the so-called Sentiero sul Maira backwards along the quiet secondary road that winds through cultivated fields with excellent views of Mount San Bernardo and the bell tower of the parish church of Villar San Costanzo, the next stop on the itinerary.

After passing the paragliding landing point, the road turns north-west reaching the Pramallè area. At a crossroads (votive pillar) turn left. Ignoring all the deviations, continue along Via Pramallè until you reach the notable parish church of San Pietro in Vincoli, an ancient Benedictine abbey, preceded by a green area, an excellent spot for a stop.

Turn right into via don Brarda and two hundred and fifty meters later left, taking you to the center of Villar San Costanzo. From the bottom of Piazza Giovanni Giolitti take via Giovanni Cancan. After three hundred metres, at the height of a nice B&B, the surface becomes a dirt road. A little further on it narrows into a path, bends to the left and joins a dirt road which you follow to the right arriving almost immediately at an asphalt road.

Follow it downhill to the left and when it joins the quiet Via Pramarchetti (pylon) turn right. Ignoring any deviations the road makes a wide semicircle. Before a last group of houses, turn left onto a beautiful dirt road that heads back east.

Seven hundred meters further, at a crossroads, keep left alongside the Cannetum park, a theme park where structures from eras ranging from Prehistory to the Middle Ages have been reconstructed.

Cannetum was the original name of Villar San Costanzo, when it was still an ancient Roman garrison. The name derives from the marshy land, subsequently reclaimed by the Benedictine monks who settled in the area, in which nothing but reeds grew.

Once you reach the provincial road, follow it to the left on the cycle/pedestrian path returning to the parish church of San Pietro in Vincoli.

Turn right onto via Crocetta. Cross a canal and then continue on its left side.

Since this is the most direct route towards the Morra del Villar hamlet, there may be some traffic, however every Sunday from November to May the road is closed to motorized vehicles.

Three hundred meters later, cross it again thanks to two small bridges placed side by side, proceeding on the road that becomes almost straight again towards the hamlet of Morra.

About halfway you pass a cross with a bench returning to Morra del Villar where this easy and pleasant route ends.

Photos and descriptions by Valerio Dutto of Cuneotrekking.com