Hi all, let me use this fantastic tool which is Google Connect to present you my city, Biella, discovering it with my favorite hobby and sport: Mountain Bike!
First of all two words about Biella, the small city where I live: Biella is a town and comune in the northern Italian region of Piedmont, the capital of the province of the same name. It is located about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of Turin and about 80 kilometers (50 miles) west-northwest of Milan. Altitude of 420 meters above sea level with a population of about 45,000 inhabitants. The first recorded information about ancient Bugella (Biella) dates back to a document of 826. In 1379 the city and its destiny was put under the dominion of Savoy. The city flourished thanks to the establishment of industries which were already significant in the 17th Century. This success continued through the 18th and 19th Century with an actual industrial revolution transforming it into one of the major wool manufacturing centers of the world.
But the journey will start from Candelo, a small city located 7 km from Biella, where we can visit the Ricetto; the Ricetto is generally a fortified structure protected inside a country where it is accumulated assets (fodder, wines etc) of the local lord or the population and where, occasionally, withdrew the population itself in the case of attacks from outside. The Ricetto of Candelo is one of the best preserved examples of this type of medieval structure present in different places in Piedmont and in some areas of Central Europe.
From Candelo we move to Biella town center, and we go along the entire Via Italia, pedestrian central street of Biella; we cover it all up to the Riva district, where we take the climb for the Piazzo district; here we found Piazza Cisterna which takes its name from the palace is surrounded by characteristic medieval arcades, built in two spans with stone capitals and “terracotta” decorations.
Only few kilometers and we are at the we are at the beginning of the path of the Burcina park; the Burcina Park was created in 1840 by Felice Piacenza. The Park, which was sold to the city of Biella in 1935, is now home to sequoias, magnolias and eastern white pines, as well as handkerchief trees from China, all occupying 57 hectares around the hill.
we climb to the top of the park, from where there is a beautiful view of Biella and the plain; we leave the park through the quite demanding descent and we reach the attack of the dirt path that will take us to the sanctuary of Oropa
The Sanctuary of Oropa is a group of Roman Catholic buildings and structures in the municipality of Biella, Italy. It is located at a height of 1,159 meters in a small valley of the Alpi Biellesi.
From here we take the road towards the Rosazza tunnel, and, at the last bend, we take the path towards Mount Cucco, where we arrive after another hour of bike. Here we have a wonderful view over the entire Po valley.
The re return takes place along a fairly challenging downhill path in the first section, to then become easy towards the town of San Eurosia, then Tollegno and finally back to Biella.
Here the GPX track of all the journey.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1G45xDpsFLvSs6Irxs0zrlih5vro4OZbI&usp=sharing
if you are in the area, give me a call, and I will try to accompany you along the way!