Milan · Ligurian Apennines and Portofino
A 304 km loop from Pavia
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Why this ride
Mountain switchbacks with a sea-air finish. A 304 km loop that starts and ends near Pavia, about 5 h 51 of riding. It goes by way of Bobbio Trebbia road and Portofino coast. The climb of the day is Passo del Penice. It is a high-mountain day.
Roadbook
- Pavia fuel gate
fuel
Pavia lies on the Ticino River in the flat, fertile Po plain south of Milan, and it has a long and surprising past. The Lombards made it their capital in the sixth century, and for two hundred years it was the seat of their kingdom. The University of Pavia, founded in 1361, is among the oldest in Europe, and its students have given the city a youthful, bicycle-filled atmosphere. In 1525 a battle outside the walls ended with the capture of King Francis I of France by the troops of Emperor Charles V, a defeat that changed the balance of power in Europe.
The old centre has red-brick towers, medieval churches and a covered bridge across the river, the Ponte Coperto. The present bridge is a reconstruction, rebuilt after the Second World War when its predecessor, dating from the fourteenth century, was bombed. A few kilometres north, the Certosa di Pavia, a Carthusian monastery begun in 1396, has a spectacular marble facade, one of the finest works of the Lombard Renaissance. The surrounding country is rice land, with flooded paddies in spring that mirror the sky, and risotto is the local staple.
For a rider heading south toward the Ligurian Apennines and Portofino, Pavia is the practical gate. Fuel is plentiful, and coffee and a brioche are easily found. The Oltrepò Pavese, the hills beyond the Po, offer vineyards, small castles and winding roads that climb toward passes such as Penice, where the plain is left behind. In winter, fog can lie thick over the plains, reducing visibility, while summer days can be hot and hazy.
Check traffic around the city in the early morning, since lorries and commuters fill the roads. Cross the Po on the long bridge and enjoy the first folds of the hills. Pavia is lively in the evening, with students gathering at the cafés, and a stop here is a cheerful way to start a long day.
- Passo del Penice
pass
Passo del Penice is where Lombardy, Emilia and Liguria nearly meet, a pass of about 1,150 metres crossing the Apennines between the Oltrepò Pavese and the valley of Bobbio. It is not a snow-capped giant but a long, wooded ridge with grass slopes and views to the plains and the Alps on clear days. On the summit of Monte Penice stand radio and television masts, which are visible from many kilometres away, and a small sanctuary church sits close to the top. The Giro d'Italia has crossed it in the past, and local cyclists regard it as a rite of passage.
The road from the north climbs through Oltrepò Pavese, an area of vineyards and small villages, and it reaches the pass through beech and chestnut woods. The bends are open and the gradient steady, with enough variation to keep you alert but not so much that you need to fight the bike. The surface is generally good, and traffic is light except on summer weekends, when cyclists and motorcyclists from Milan arrive in numbers. The descent toward Bobbio is more intimate, with tighter bends and a feeling of leaving the bright plain for older, darker country.
The food of the area is excellent. Varzi, on the northern side, is famous for its salame, which has protected status and a delicate flavour from slow curing in cool cellars. In the valleys you will find Piacentine specialities such as pancetta, coppa and pasta dishes with ragù or mushrooms, all served in small trattorie that often close in the afternoon, so plan your meals. The Oltrepò wines, especially the red Bonarda and the sparkling whites, are worth a taste if you are not riding.
For fuel, Bobbio and Varzi are the nearest towns, but both are small, so top up before you begin the pass. A few cafés and restaurants open near the top in the season, though they may be closed midweek or in winter. A hot drink in a mountain café is a good way to enjoy the quiet.
Weather deserves attention. Fog and cloud often sit on the ridge, and in winter snow and ice can close the road for a short time. In summer, thunderstorms build quickly on the heights. Early morning is best, with clear air and almost no traffic, and the light on the vineyards below is lovely.
- Bobbio Trebbia road
scenic
Bobbio is a small town, with fewer than three thousand people, but it sits at the centre of a story that stretches back more than a thousand years. In 614 the Irish monk Columbanus founded an abbey here, in the valley of the Trebbia river, and the monastery became one of the great centres of learning in early medieval Europe, with a library said to have held hundreds of manuscripts. The abbey of San Colombano still stands, and the crypt and cloister are worth a visit. The town's stone lanes, arcades and the Ponte Gobbo, a crooked medieval bridge with irregular arches that crosses the river, have the look of a place that has hardly changed.
The Trebbia itself is one of the loveliest rivers in northern Italy, with clear water running over pale pebbles and pools of green. It also has a place in classical history, because Hannibal defeated a Roman army on its banks in 218 BC. In summer, locals and visitors swim and sunbathe on its gravel bars, and the surrounding hills are covered in oak, chestnut and pine.
The road along the valley is a joy. It follows the river in long, flowing curves, with the rock walls close on one side and the water on the other. The surface is mostly good, though the edges can be rough and gravel sometimes collects on bends. Traffic is light, although summer weekends bring cyclists and motorcyclists. On a warm evening the light on the water and the soft sound of the river make it easy to slow down and enjoy the ride.
Food is a draw. Piacenza province is known for pasta such as pisarei e fasò, small dumplings in a bean and tomato sauce, as well as cured meats such as coppa, salame and pancetta. Many trattorie in Bobbio serve these, and closing times are strict, so a late lunch can be hard to find. Bakeries and cafés in the town centre are good for a quick bite.
Fuel is available in Bobbio, but with only a few stations, it is worth topping up before heading deeper into the valley. Larger towns lie farther away. Park the bike near the centre and walk into the old town. The streets are narrow and the cobbles are uneven, so wear shoes you can walk in.
- Portofino coast
photo
Portofino is a harbour the size of a courtyard, ringed by tall painted houses in ochre, pink and rust, with yachts tied up in front like expensive furniture. It sits on a rocky peninsula east of Genoa, in a regional park of pine, olive and holm oak that falls steeply into a clear sea. The village has long been a retreat for the wealthy, and the prices in the cafés reflect it, but the setting is real. Walk up the lane to the small church of San Giorgio or to Castello Brown, a fortress turned villa, and the view back over the harbour explains the fuss.
The road to get here is the better part of the story. From Santa Margherita Ligure, the coastal road winds along the shore for a few kilometres, clinging to the cliffs, passing the bay of Paraggi, with its tiny beach, and dropping to the harbour. It is narrow and busy, and in season it can become a slow queue of cars, scooters and coaches. Access is sometimes restricted on peak days, and parking in the village is limited and pricey, so be prepared to leave the bike in a designated bay and walk the last stretch. An early start or an evening visit makes the whole thing far more pleasant.
Nature on this headland is remarkable for a coast so close to a big city. Paths lead through the park to San Fruttuoso, a medieval abbey in a hidden cove reached on foot or by boat, where a bronze statue of Christ stands underwater offshore. The sea here is protected, and divers come to see the fish and the seagrass beds. On land, the Mediterranean scrub smells of resin and wild herbs after warm rain, and the light on the water shifts from turquoise to deep blue.
Fuel is not available in Portofino itself, so fill up at Santa Margherita Ligure, about four kilometres away, or at Rapallo, a larger town with a long promenade and a castle on the sea. Liguria is also the home of pesto, focaccia and farinata, a thin chickpea pancake, and all three are easy to find in the bakeries along the coast. A slice of focaccia is a fine lunch if the restaurant prices are too steep.
The road surface is mostly good, but with a lot of traffic and tight bends, ride with patience. The reward is a coastline that looks as though it has been arranged by a painter with a taste for contrast.
- Back to Pavia
finish
Back at Pavia. That is the ride.