From Caselette and Avigliana to Villar Focchiardo in the Susa Valley by bicycle: a dream, called Ciclovia Francigena, has now become reality. With the completion of the first two lots of the cycle path, covering over 35 km, on Saturday 3 June 2023, in the presence of the local administrators, the ribbon was officially cut on this great project for the sustainable promotion of tourism in the area, implemented by the Unione Montana Valle Susa. A cycle-tourist route along the Piedmont section of the Via Francigena – the realisation of which had been started during the previous administration – which joins the great 680 km VenTo (Venice-Turin) and AIdA (Alta Italia da Attraversare) cycle routes.
Click here to discover the route of the Susa Valley cycle route. The interactive map of the Via Francigena can instead be followed during the journey by downloading the AllTrails App.
The resulting itinerary, which winds gently along the valley floor allowing people to enjoy the beauty of the landscape off the busy roads, is still ‘work in progress’. Indeed, work is continuing on the continuation of the cycle path, with the aim of connecting Villar Focchiardo to Bussoleno (the third lot). But the real ambition is to go as far as Moncenisio, creating an overall itinerary of 62 km. In fact, the participatory planning with the municipalities of Val Cenischia will soon be concluded: once completed, it will then be necessary to seek funds for the implementation of the fourth and final lot.
Click here to discover all our advice for preparing to cycle the Francigena.
“Those who preceded me rightly thought of the bicycle as a pioneer for the development of the territory,” explained the president of the Unione Montana, Pacifico Banchieri. “Unfortunately, between thinking and succeeding in realizing such a project, many years pass and many difficulties have to be overcome. So if we manage, with so much effort, to inaugurate this important piece of the cycle path, we can say that it is a success and a great satisfaction for everyone, from the officials who worked on it to the administrations that took turns. I am convinced that this cycle path serves first and foremost as a service for our territory, available to citizens who want to get around by bicycle or do sport. But it can also serve to bring development and tourism and to make the valley richer, more beautiful and more attractive“.
For former president Sandro Plano, “this work is a symbol of how the Mountain Unions truly represent the essence of territorial policies. The cycle path embraces an entire valley and the fact that a body has thought of an infrastructure that links the whole territory is something that makes us reflect. I therefore want to thank the administrators who carried out the project, but above all the technicians, in particular Mauro Parisio and his colleagues, who did an exceptional job“.
[Press release by the Unione Montana Valle Susa Press Office].
