“Unreal village in the real world”

Grazzano Visconti is one of the most famous medieval villages in the province of Piacenza. It was bestowed the City of Art status in 1986. It is possible to visit the suggestive castle estate and the ample 15th century style hamlet. Celebrations and historical re-enactments are often organized. Reachable by car in around 9 minutes, or by bycicles with the Michele's trip suggestion trough Komoot App :

from L'Urteia to Grazzano and return low difficult by Komoot 

download GPX track

Bobbio is a tourist destination famous for its past of art and culture, for lovers of nature, of sport and of its monuments, being a border-stop between the varied cultures of Piacenza, Liguria, Piemonte and Pavia. The old town center has maintained traits of its unspoiled medieval village. It is the final destination for many pilgrims come from as far as Ireland, homeland of abbot and missionary Columbanus, man of action and Evangelizer of Europe, who built the Abbey in Bobbio in 614, thus elevating this town to an important cultural center of great significance in the following centuries. The symbol of the city is Ponte Gobbo (‘Hunchbacked Bridge’, also called ‘The Devil’s Bridge’ because of the legend that came with it), of Roman origin and built of stones, crossing the Trebbia river with eleven unequal arches. The land surrounding the town inspired Master Leonardo Da Vinci so much that he painted the landscape behind the Mona Lisa in his masterpiece in the 15th century while looking out of a window from the Malaspina-Dal Verme Castle, as recent technical-scientific studies have revealed.

There are many monuments and places of interest to visit. Events are organized all year round, among which stand out the “Bobbio Film Festival” (curated by Director Marco Bellocchio who comes from Bobbio) and Palio delle Contrade, the latter being a challenge of medieval origin among the 5 districts of Bobbio. Bobbio has been bestowed City of Art and Culture. Since 2006, it has been honored with the Orange Flag by the Italian Touring Club, as a place of touristic interest of the early Middle Ages, prominent for its excellence and its reception. Since 2008, it has also been part of the ‘I Borghi più belli d’Italia’ club (an association of small Italian towns of historical interest). In addition to this, the town is included in the World Tourism Organization.

Reachable in about 25 minutes by car.

download the GPX track to reach Bobbio by Bicycle. 

When you think of Piacenza, thoughts go to Pianura Padana (Po Valley), foggy, intensely cold in winter and suffocating wet hot in summer. That is all true, except that only 15 km to the South of the city, travelling along the State Highway 45, the show begins. The VALTREBBIA is a natural oasis, which offers, besides a generous microclimate, some unexpected and wonderful landscapes.

The VALTREBBIA is everything you are not expecting, it is capable of surprising you all the time, after every bend and in every season.

Our journey ... takes place in the stretch between Rivergaro and Ottone, 54 kilometers of magic. Those who live in this stretch of the valley are used to the sun going down behind the Parcellara stone, to the green waters of the Trebbia, to the trips by horse or to the long walks in uncontaminated places. Let’s be honest, since we live all of this every day, we are always left a bit surprised when we meet tourists who are enchanted by our land’s beauty. We are surprised but proud at the same time, almost jealous for sharing something we feel is so deeply “ours” with other people. The Valtrebbia is a paradise for lovers of good food and good wine. The Emilia cuisine is considered the best in the world, thanks also to the numerous local specialties available to savor in the trattorias, restaurants or agritourisms of this valley. Sport lovers will find a wide choice: horseback riding, golf, canoeing, rafting, skiing, mountain biking, archery, tennis, all this as well as numerous hikes along the wonderful trails scattered around the whole valley. The more you climb uphill, the more amazed you are left by the spectacle the Trebbia offers. Canoeing, rafting and canyoning enthusiasts well know the winding canyons twisting downhill between the villages of Ottone, Traschio, Marsaglia, Brugnello and San Salvatore. In this stretch, the Trebbia often tries to hide its beauty, making it difficult and arduous to descend to the riverbed. However, after discovering the routes and trails, it is worth venturing carefully among the bends in the river to find a magical and unspoiled environment. Going further down towards Bobbio, Perino and Travo, the river continues its journey widening its riverbed considerably, thus creating inviting beaches immensely popular in the summer months with local inhabitants of the valley and tourists coming from Piacenza and the neighboring provinces.

Extract from the book VALTREBBIA – IMMAGINI E ITINERARI

By Gabriele Balordi

Published in 2015

Published and distributed by:

Giovanni Marchesi Editore - Ediprima

For any further information www.valtrebbiaexperience.com