Venasca and the lower Varaita Valley are the ingredients of this ring trail, which starts from Piazza Liderico Vineis. From the square, get on your bike and immediately turn onto Via Dante. Continue cycling and after a few dozen metres you will come across the right-hand road of the Bricco: follow it, avoiding all the junctions on the right and left. Continuing slightly uphill, after a few kilometres you will see the first of the churches located along the route, that of Madonna del Vernetto. It dates back to the early thirteenth century, erected in an isolated position with a high colonnade built to protect the façade, a bell tower next to the chapel and an apse that appears to have been rebuilt, close to the main space.

Continue on the asphalt road without hesitation, and you will reach the village of Bricco, passing next to another church: that of the Visitazione di Maria Santissima, erected in this small hamlet at the end of the eighteenth century. Continue pedalling and pass through the village of Monge. From here the slopes will increase until you reach the top of the ring trail in the area of Madonna di Peralba with its homonymous chapel, already referred to in documents back in 1143. It is located on a promontory overlooking the plain at about 1000 metres above sea level. It probably owes its name, “Peralba”, to the white colour of the local stones, or to the colour of the building, which is clearly visible even in the distance. 

After this stage, the road continues downhill. Return to the access road and at the first hairpin bend on the left take the dirt path on the right that will soon lead you to the village of Collino. Ride for a short stretch on asphalt then leave it after a while and take another steep dirt path on the left (U89). This single-track dirt road will take you down until you reach another hamlet of Venasca (known as Lussia) and the beautiful Chiesa di Sant’Antonio.

Keep following the dirt path that becomes less steep here, leading you comfortably to “Case Bonelli”. From here, follow the track to the left in the direction of a votive pillar and then turn right, following the signs for Cappella Sant’Anna. Once there, you will see the homonymous church that completes the MTB ring trail tour of the churches of Venasca. 

Keep going and a little further on you will find yourself in front of a beautiful set of stairs with a wooden bridge. We recommend you hand wheel your MTB or E-bike in order to avoid damaging the steps. After the stairs, the gradient begins increasing again and so does the fun: here you are in Tetti Ponza, where the most technical part of the day begins: a fast single-track leads us to via Asilo and back to the departure point of the ring trail.

Download Cycling and Cycling Tourism Itineraries in the Province of Cuneo