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For Caterina who works too hard to walk and would rather swim anyhow.

Prologue

We have stayed at the Giardinetto for years and are always astonished at how few people we see when we go on walks from the hotel, even though there are many wonderful paths, trails and destinations. Maybe it’s because there is no guide and few really good walkers’ maps.

So I hope this helps. It doesn’t pretend to be a complete guide – there are some walks like the one along the lake to Borca, that I haven’t done yet. And – for the braver and the experienced – there is now a walkers’ map “Cammina Armeno” full of serious walk ideas in the area. It’s only available, as far as I know, from the barber in Miasino (4 euros) He closes rigidly at noon so you have to arrive in time to acquire one of these.

Good luck

By Sara Nathan. Cartoons and Illustrations by Richard Gates

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“Star t from the Hotel”

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Introduction

These are all walks you can do from the hotel without a car… of course, if you have one, further afield is an option but I am not expert enough to guide you.

Each walk is do-able in a morning – some even shorter.

You do need proper shoes – not necessarily walking boots but stout shoes or walking sandals. I would wear long shorts or trousers as some paths are a bit overgrown. Do take water and a phone, sunglasses or a hat. Maybe insect repellent if they find you particularly tasty – oh, and some money as each walk involves a stop for beer or ice-cream. That’s it. No more instructions.

Some advice though – there is a “girolago” circular track around the lake…you won’t go far wrong if you see this sign. There are also markings by the Italian ramblers which are generally red and white paint on a wall or tree plus some markings of the Agello Azzurro. I don’t know what this is but again, generally helpful. And someone has painted white arrows on the road in various places. If you have a choice of paths and one has this, take it. You’ll be on the right track – or at least a track that goes somewhere.

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“ Take water and a phone”

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Starting your walk

From the hotel, there are several options: 1. You can cross the road and walk up the winding private road

immediately behind the hotel and then through the gate at the top. Then either turn right to walk along past the station with its lovely view over the lake and down the slope to the viaduct to the left from where most walks really start, or left and over the railway towards Crabbia.

2. Turn right out of the hotel and walk along the road – not much fun but straight and quick and if you need to buy lunch or water, this takes you past the shops. There is the wonderful Cusio Formaggio for cheese, bread and salamis. Then there is a good bakery and a general fruiterer and grocer. When stocked up, turn left up between the bar and the gelateria and bear right across the square and left up to the viaduct.

3. Alternately, turn right from the hotel, cross over the main road after about 50 yards and turn left up the unpaved road between the apartments. This leads up to a parallel quiet road along to the middle of the village. Follow it round and when you see the “You & Me” salon bear left and along to the viaduct.

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4. Or turn right out of the hotel and walk 100 yards or so to the start of the passagiata al lago. Walk round the lake to the green, then turn left and walk through the middle of the houses, past the Medieval church and campanile, cross the road and keep going past the wood turning museum on your right (really not many stars – only worth a visit on quite a wet day!) Then follow road round to the viaduct.

5. Or there’s the ferry which leaves the hotel each morning for Orta at about 0930. On Thursdays there’s one at 0920 to Omegna which opens up the Ronco walk.

“Always take the r ight shoes”

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Flat walks

1. The passagiata by the lake.

Turn out of the Hotel as in option 4 above, and walk along the lake to the green as before. But keep going past the ferry stop and the public bathing on the marked path to the bar. The Dolphin bar has much improved recently and has the compulsory beer but also good snack food and a clean non-squatting loo. There is a public beach and a grassy area with sunbeds. The Dolphin is open very long hours every day in high season but is apparently closed Mondays at other times. After the beer, keep on the path of the passagiata del sud all the way to the Approdo Hotel. Further beer potential at the campsite café. To return, you can retrace your steps all the way or turn right at the green and come back via option 3 above.

Not everyone wants to be energetic – or has the capacity – my 80 ye ar old mum does

these with no problems:

Duration: Depends on options but really not long at all.

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“Beer needed at L’ Approdo”

2. Ronco – Pella

Take the ferry from the hotel to Ronco, the pretty village opposite. From the landing stage walk right till you reach the little square in a few paces. There is a path at the back of the square. Take this inland until you see a shrine on the left in the corner of a house. Turn left down the Via de Chiesa – there’s a lovely view back over the lake. Walk past the church and turn right beside it and left by the barking dogs (assuming they still are!). You emerge after not many paces onto a mule track that goes steeply up to your right. So turn right and struggle up – its really short, less than maybe 50 yards, and still within the capacity of even poor walkers. At the top is the metalled road – the Via M. Buanarotti. Turn left on this little road towards Pella which runs all the way along the edge of the lake and is about a kilometre and a half long. In Pella, turn left down Via Roma to the front and then right along to the gelateria which is fantastic and very reasonable.

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Apparently Piedmonte ice-cream is unique in being made from condensed milk and is stunningly good – this is no time to think about the calories! It’s open from 1000 most days but only from 1400 on Monday and Saturday. Or there are cafes near the ferry stop if you prefer beer (how could you?) But the beer cafe on the corner has a non-squatting loos so maybe it’s worth it. Take the ferry to the island – you have time to get off and look round before the ferry back from Orta square. (you can walk round the island too and it is almost wholly flat –there’s only one path so no need for my help here). and then on by boat to Orta and Pettenasco. In summer 2011 you can do this only on Thursday mornings (Omegna market day) other days there’s no ferry to Ronco or nothing back from Pella. But you could get one of the little boats instead – pricier but available.

Duration: Ronco – Pella about 45 minutes at an amble.

Flat walks

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“Barking dogs in Ronco. ”

“Grrrrrr”

“Arf”“Arf”

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This is really part of the long Alpe Selviana walk but if you have a car and some less fit/energetic people in the party, they can do this central part of the walk. Drive to Pratolungo. The driver retreats with book to the Circulo for a beer, the walkers walk through the village past the chapel and the communal wash house to the left, until a path slopes down to the right – down some shallow and quite grassy steps. Then follow the path over the bridge and through the lovely shady woods until it opens into the meadow.

3. The way through the meadows.

Cross this, walking along the contour – no turning across the valley – then through more shady woods. The path slopes down to cross the stream again – the only tricky bit and the more infirm will need a helping hand here – then through more meadow and along to the minor road – turn right to reach the chapel on the road outside Agrano. The driver can pick up the walkers here about thirty minutes after dropping them in Pratolungo and take them on or back.Duration:

About 35 minutes one way.

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“Way through the me adows. . . the inf irm will need help. ”

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4. Round the Orta Peninsula

Take the ferry from the hotel at 0930 into Orta. From the jetty cross to the back of the square and turn right behind the defunct Albergo Orta. You pass between shops – lovely glass to the right and tat to the left and a pizzeria on your left which isn’t bad but gets terribly hot during the day…then follow the path around the promontory keeping the water to your right. After about half a mile the path swings inland and you end up outside the Villa Crespi which is a Victorian folly now a hotel run by the same family as the Giardinetto and with two Michelin stars but no pool, or access to the lake. Cross the road and turn left past the Tourist Information office. Walk up the road past the coach and car park about a hundred yards then take the sloping path to your right across and down to the lake – not the one that goes straight down at right angles – that seems to be private property.

Follow the path keeping the lake to your right until it turns inland and back towards the town centre. Keep on the path past the posh Hotel San Rocco (fab location and pool but a bit soul-less and blandly international with very expensive food). Keep going straight ahead and if you are not beguiled by the salmuneria or the lovely chocolate shop to the right, or the gelaterias to the left, you will arrive back in the square with the ferry stop now on your right. There should be plenty of time for a mosey up to the baroque church (lots of steps) or to the town hall gardens - just before the gelaterias) or even for a ride on the “piccolo treni” before a beer at the expensive café by the ferry landing – but think what a view of the island you are paying for! And catching the 1230 ferry back to the hotel.

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Duration: About an hour or a little more at a stroll.

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More challenging walks

5. To Pratolungo and back – circular walk

Choose your route to the viaduct from the options above. Go under the viaduct and don’t take the first path to the left which is signed for Pratolungo but the second one just after the houses which looks like (and is) a grassy track. This climbs through the wood and there is clearly only one way to go. When the path emerges from the wood, you see two buildings to the left. Walk between them – keeping beyond the reach of the rather fierce but firmly tethered dog attached to the

first one – or maybe when you go, he won’t still be there. The grassy path forks just pass the buildings so take the left hand fork and walk up through the woods for a few minutes. There is a gate ahead of you which

can be unhitched – but of course you’ll remember to close it behind you. Then on through market garden style gardens which brings you out on a little road. You can see more flourishing allotment-style patches in front of you and a church but you are turning up the road to your right. This brings you up a short steep road to the Madonna al Neve church – which never seems to be open. Walk up the avenue in front of the church, past the children’s playground on your left, to the end and then turn left with the guest house (also never seems to be open) on your right. Just a few yards on is the Circulo bar where you can order bottled

17Duration: About forty minutes up and twenty five down… plus beer stop.

‘ Look for the viaduct’

beer. The outdoor table furthest from the entrance has a view with glimpses out over the lake. The loos here are pristine but squatters.

After your beer and crisps, retrace your steps to the church and then down the same path you walked up – signed for Pettenasco. You will walk down past the turning you turned out from on your way up – it says House to Rent in German! Keep walking down and the road soon turns into a well marked mule track. Keep left all the way down ignoring the odd path off to the right and this will bring you out under the viaduct at the point that you did not take on the way up. Return to the hotel by one of the routes given above.

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6. Along the lake to Agrano

Take option 1 out of the hotel and at the top of the estate turn left on the road and walk over the level crossing. Follow the road to the left along the lake towards Crabbia. You pass a pizzeria on the right. As you come into Crabbia you fork right, slightly uphill up Via al Chiesa. You pass a shrine on your right and then reach the church. You bear right here up Via al Monti but then take, not the road up to Via al Monti, but the more or less straight ahead Via Agrano. At the fork don’t take the red and white sign left to Omegna but keep right. Keep on this road even though it says it doesn’t go through. After a couple of hundred yards it becomes a track. This goes gentle upwards past gardens and low brick walls and then into the woods when it climbs persistently but not very steeply through the trees. Keep walking for about a kilometre with the lake to your left – there are no paths off to distract you.

When you are opposite Ronco, the path slopes down for some yards but there are no other options and lots of lovely red and white signs to keep you on the straight and narrow. Eventually the path turns inland from the lake through some dark shrubs and then joins other mule paths. Bear left on the first one, as the paths merge towards Agrano bear right and then left – you should see the church spire from here. Keep walking and you pass the burial ground on your left. There is a grassy track just before the church. This dog-legs down to the road. Turn right and it’s less than a hundred yards to the Circulo. Clean, squatting loo.

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6. Along the lake to Agrano (continued)

Post refreshment – and you can have lunch here, lots of people do though we haven’t tried it – leave by the path at the back of the Circulo which takes you back to the mule path…you turn left from this path – its called Dei Cavallo – and turn left. Take the left fork signed to Monte Crabbia. There is then a seriously strenuous twenty minutes trek uphill through the woods. There is supposed to be a path to the right of Monte Crabbia before you reach the top but I have never found it. So keep going till you see a sign right for Crabbia – take this for a long descent back to Crabbia or you can take the Pratolungo path round the left side of the hill if you prefer. This is marked all the way to the top of Pratolungo and you can then come down by mule track or road as before.

If you take the Crabbia route, be prepared for a long and leisurely descent. The path takes a gently meander down – practically south to Orta and north to Ronco. It’s delightful through dappled woods and clearly marked….but it is a long way and lunch may be calling. Eventually you reach a metalled road above Crabbia (house with huge swimming pool on your right) and you follow this down to where it comes out at the Via Di Monte sign that you did not take on the way up. Turn left and retrace your steps down through Crabbia, past the pizzeria, round the corner, over the level crossing and so through the estate back to the hotel.

Duration: about two and a half hours including brief beer stop.

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“Seriously strenuous for 20 minutes”

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7. Into Orta and back by ferry or ferry to Orta and walk back.

Taking the ferry in at 0930 and walking back is less stressful in many ways as you don’t have to worry about missing the only boat back, but either is possible.

From the ferry stop, walk to the back of the square and turn left – so the steps up to the church are on your right. Walk along the narrow road between the shops until you reach the little church and then either keep going and walk round the peninsula (second half of walk four in reverse) which is long and leisurely, or turn right so the church is behind you and walk up the steep slope and then the steps emerging by the crazy golf. Walk along the road past the main car park on your left and due inland and uphill – then down to the Villa Crespi whose loopy, elaborate tower you will see on the right. This is the short but brutal route which gets you to the crossroads outside Orta in just under fifteen minutes. The lake route takes about twice as long. From the Villa Crespi, cross the main road towards the Hotel St Caterina and the station and walk about thirty paces until you see a fork left.

Take this and walk along this small road past a high hedge and yappy dogs to your right and then a campsite to your left. Just after the campsite, the metalled road becomes a stony track. Keep going along here until you reach a red and white barrier. This is the railway. Go round the right of this and – carefully – cross the track. There aren’t many trains but obviously you will be careful and look and listen before you step across. The path continues about ten paces along the track the other side – you will see another barrier and go round to the right of this.

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Then the track continues past a small holding on the left and up onto the Carcegna – Legno road. Turn left and walk along the road for about half a kilometre. You can either take a mule track right just before a stream as the road rounds to the right into Carcegna and its imposing church, or stay on the road which is straightforward but a bit trafficky. If you take the track, walk up about 250 yards until you see steps down to your left past a pretty garden on your right, over a little stream and then up and through an orchard emerging at the end of the road with the Carcegna Circulo on your right (closed Thursdays).

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7. Into Orta and back by ferry or ferry to Orta and walk back (continued)

From the Circulo, stay on the same path into the centre of Carcegna, emerging onto the main (not very main!) road with the large church to your right. Cross the road so you are standing next to the wall with vegetable gardens beneath you. Here you will see the memorial to one of the local partisans killed in the second world war – the hills are strewn with these as this was a centre of partisan activity. Facing the church, turn left and walk through the village, generally keeping to the lower path – there are some white arrows! You emerge from the village with some holiday apartments on your right, don’t fork left down Via al Sasso but keep straight on then follow the path marked to Pettenasco. This becomes a mule path and winds along the coast and through the woods mostly downwards and generally keeping to the left option where there is a choice except once where there is a fork and the left says Via Pettenasco – no through road. So take the right fork along the track here and the path doubles back on itself and down past a large house high on the right where you bear right with the railway track on your left to its end again near the viaduct. Then turn left, cross the bridge and choose a route back to the hotel.

Duration: about an hour and a half without stops.

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“ I think we’ve gone off course a bit”

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Really quite challenging expeditions for the fitter, keener and/or younger

8. To Armeno, along to Miasino and back via Carcegna.

This one is a bit of a challenge and really quite a long one. I would recommend two stops – the bar in Armeno and then the Circulo in Carcegno – but beware, this latter is closed Thursdays.

From the viaduct take the path straight along the Pescone river inland…so past the Pratolungo turns, over the bridge and bear left. Keep on this path with the river to your left through the meadow and then the path turns rightish into the wood. Keep on going upwards – this is quite hard work – keeping to the main path through the woods. In the summer of 2011 this meant going past a lot of works by a gas company – then on past a farm building on your right and then a field with a horse in it until you see the houses of Armeno above on the right. The path comes to the rather un beautiful civic dump – you can smell it before you see it – but on the left the town built a panoramic view site which overlooks the lake but could do with some housekeeping. After enjoying the view, walk back towards the dump and left up the path to the road and turn right towards the village. You pass gardens either side on the way up to the town… then a gelateria which always seems to be closed – maybe because we do this in the morning. Cross the road still going up a gentle slope to the town. On the left you will see the town hall, on the right a couple of shops and then the bar also to the right. You have really deserved the beer here but don’t drink too much as the loo is a middlingly clean squatter and rather public. Enjoy a good rest at the bar where you can contemplate what the elderly men on the benches under the tree opposite do all day.

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8. To Armeno, along to Miasino and back via Carcegna (continued)

When you are rested, leave the bar on your right and walk down towards the church. Turn right down a side road after maybe 50 yards. At the end of this residential street, turn left along the fairly small but busy road. You will have houses on your left and fields to the right. At the end of this road turn left at the junction, cross the road and turn immediately right down a mule track. This is signed to Miasina. This path winds between small holdings and out at a T junction. Cross over and continue straight on. This road brings you to the edge of Miasino – a charming Medieval town. Follow the road round into the main square where you can have a beer, if necessary, as long as you arrive before 1230 when the bar closes. There is a pretty, small baroque church in the square and an imposing town hall which is currently being restored. You can also have lunch in the trattoria here which is down the small road straight opposite the bar. It’s in the gardens of the town’s poshest villa, but is closed Wednesdays.

Whether lunching or not keep on this small road, noting the fake windows on the building on your right and straight ahead. After about 75 yards you will see a branch of the path to your right with a little footbridge over the path a few feet from the junction. It is not signed but you take this to Carcegna. It goes between walls and then into a wooded area. After about a kilometre, you will see a building on the right and there are signs where the path forks. You can take either but I advise the one to the right which goes down some steps past a pretty garden on your right, over a little stream and then up and through an orchard emerging at the end of the road with the Carcegna Circulo on your right (closed Thursdays).

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The walk continues on page 28

“B eware civic dump”

‘Phew’

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8. To Armeno, along to Miasino and back via Carcegna (continued)

From the Circulo, stay on the same path into the centre of Carcegna, emerging onto the main (not very main!) road with the large church to your right. Cross the road so you are standing next to the wall with vegetable gardens beneath you. Here you will see the memorial to one of the local partisans killed in the second world war – the hills are strewn with these as this was a centre of partisan activity. Facing the church, turn left and walk through the village, generally keeping to the lower path – there are some white arrows! You emerge from the village with some holiday apartments on your right, don’t fork left down Via al Sasso but keep straight on then follow the path marked to Pettenasco.

This becomes a mule path and winds along the coast and through the woods mostly downwards and generally keeping to the left option where there is a choice except where there is a fork and the left says via Pettenasco – no through road – so take the right fork along the track here and the path doubles back on itself and down past a large house high on the right where you bear right with the railway track on your left to its end again near the viaduct. Then turn left, cross the bridge and choose a route back to the hotel.

Duration: a good three hours without stops.

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“Squatting loo”

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9. Up to Alpe Selviana’s waterfalls

The purpose of this is to visit the wonderful waterfalls and rock pools in the Pescone river before it becomes the docile trickle down to the lake. Until recently it could be combined with lunch at the Alpe Selviana agriturismo (try the blueberry risotto if it reopens) but at time of writing in 2011 this was closed due to ill-health. You can still gain access to the waterfalls Monday to Saturday if you buy some of the agriturismo’s produce – but this is no hardship.

Walk up to Pratolungo as before (walk 1) and then across the meadows to the chapel (walk 3). First beer stop in Pratolungo and possibly a second at the Agrano Circulo – turn left as you see the chapel and walk towards the village for about 200 yards and it’s on your left… then return to the chapel. From the chapel, walk up the road with the chapel on your left. You pass rather smart houses in large gardens. The road bends to the right and you follow it, walking away from Agrano. The road bends to the left and becomes quite steep. You pass a house with a swimming pool with a retractable roof on your left and the road turns to the right and becomes a path impassible to cars. (this has red tape due to a fallen tree but take no notice – anyhow it may have gone by now). Follow this stony mule track winding up the hill in an exhausting manner. After far too long - but actually about fifteen minutes - you emerge onto a metalled road. There is a tap opposite you…water on the wrists or even the head may help here – you will be hot! Turn right onto the road and round three or four bends – still upwards. You will see a chapel on your right which is rather charming . Only about twenty yards on from there, on your right, are the gates down to Alpe Selviana.

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9. Up to Alpe Selviana’s waterfalls (continued)

Walk through the property, keeping the buildings on your left – having made your purchase of mirtilli jam or local honey - (there is a clean non-squatting loo here open even while the restaurant is closed). The path passes north of the poultry and blueberry bushes and has a meadow on the left. Through a gate and down to the falls. The last part of this is a bit of a scramble but its worth it because at the bottom of the path are rock pools and waterfalls (and occasionally naked Germans). Local boys dive off the rocks into the plunge pools and even foreigners slide down the gentler higher falls . We don’t know whether the iron cross embedded into the rocks commemorates a foolish one of these leapers or someone who just loved this spot –the dates preclude it being an earlier and more heroic partisan.

When you have dunked in the freezing pools and paddled enough, retrace your steps to the gate at the top of the agriturismo. Turn left down the road and pass the chapel. After about 200 yards there is a path sharp left down the hill. There is a sign on the left but it says nothing useful. This goes swiftly down the slope, zig-zagging down. When the path first splits, turn right, taking the wider path. The next junction, turn left…there is rustic fencing on this part of the path so it’s easier to follow. Keep on with the fencing to the right and then over a rickety bridge and on down. You go under an overhead pipe. After about fifteen minutes you join another path. Here you can go right down to Pescone…a little village on the road from Agrano. Or, if you fancy more waterfalls, turn left at this junction and follow the path for a couple of hundred yards to the most beautiful bathing pool fed by two very high waterfalls. This is big enough to almost swim in properly and seems known only to local people.

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“Dunking in freezing pools”

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9. Up to Alpe Selviana’s waterfalls (continued)

After this visit – room to swim but not really to picnic – retrace your steps to the path junction and continue down, emerging at Pescone where the road bridges the river. Turn right as you emerge onto the road and walk up and round the corner. There is a track on your left by a house and you will see a sign for Pratolungo. Walk between the vegetable gardens and then meadows and into the woods …there is a fork left which you should ignore – it may go in the right direction but I haven’t taken it and can’t advise. The path bends to the right, past a woodpile on the right and then you join another wide path. Turn left and walk through the woods. The path forks but there is a sign to Pratolungo so follow that. You are now back on the route to Pratolungo outlined above and come down by the steep mule path and back via the station road.

Duration: Most of a day including one beer stop and a swim and a picnic.

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“Stupido stranieri”

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Credits

Text and maps: Sara Nathan

Illustrations: Richard Gates

Design and layout: Alex Kafetz and design to communicate

Malcolm, Rachel and Jonathan Singer for being dragged kicking and screaming on these walks and their prototypes.

© January 2012. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all rights including copyright in the content of this report are owned by Sara Nathan and Richard Gates.

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