The Bicknell cycle route: a ride of Wonders
Palm Riviera
The Bicknell Cycle Route in the western part of Liguria winds its way through the wonders and mysteries of the Alps. Enjoy it over several days to fully appreciate all the beauty that this amazing part of the region has to offer.
A loop in the heartland of the Maritime and Ligurian Alps, straddling Italy and France, through charmed villages, lush forests, magnificent art and archaeology. The Bicknell Cycle Route is a sports tourism itinerary which, starting on the coast, ventures into the ancestral heart of inland Bordighera and crosses most of the Ligurian Alps Park (Parco Alpi Liguri ), before looping back to the palm trees.
It takes its name from Clarence Bicknell (Herne Hill, 27 October 1842 – Casterino, 17 July 1918), a gentleman from the city of London sent to Bordighera to become head of the Anglican church who fell in love with the nature and history of the Riviera and settled there, becoming one of the cultural reference points of the entire 20th century. A botanist, mathematician, internationalist and scholar of Esperanto, the language that promotes peace among the people of the world by overcoming national language barriers, his studies on the local flora and the Monte Bego petroglyphs still have a lot to tell us today. Yet another reason to cycle through these lands, all waiting to be discovered.
Set out on this adventure with the spirit of an explorer rather than that of an athlete, on an MTB or, better still, an eMtb, though the more expert could use a gravel bike. Given its length (150 km) and elevation gain (4,800 – 5,600 m+), we suggest you split this itinerary into two or more stages: this will allow you to really appreciate the area and everything it has to offer, from the local food to the breathtaking views. Some sections of this tour require a good level of training and advanced cycling skills.
(Download the brochure)
https://www.visitbordighera.it/en/
The stages
the Railway of MarvelsLa Brigue, Realdo, Triora, Carmo Langan
Return to Bordighera
Bordighera
the Railway of Marvels - La Ferrovia delle Meraviglie
With your bike on the Railway of Marvels (Ferrovia delle meraviglie)
This is a cycling route but you start by train: load your bike onto the “Railway of Marvels” the Cuneo – Ventimiglia Railway that runs for 96 km, crossing spectacular viaducts and 81 tunnels, the Roia Valley and the Col de Tende along the Ventimiglia, Breil-Sur-Roya and Tende section. From Tende, continue towards Casterino: this is where the “Valley of Marvels (Valle delle Meraviglie)” begins, where Bicknell studied the petroglyphs of Monte Bego, revealing to the world over 35,000 carvings and paintings dating back to the Neolithic and Copper Ages (5th-3rd millennium BCE), probably etched onto the rocks as votive offerings to Mont Bégo, a mountain considered sacred by the ancient people of Liguria. Many of the paper etchings of the Mont Bégo petroglyphs can now be found at the Bicknell Museum in Bordighera. The area is also a nature reserve with a truly amazing natural environment.
Realdo 'rni d'aigura (il nido d'aquila)
La Brigue, Realdo, Triora, Carmo Langan
And the wonders continue. The Sistine Chapel of the Alps, the Terra dei Brigaschi (Land of the Brigascs) and the village of witches await you in the next stage. From La Brigue, continue towards Colle Sanson, but not before stopping to visit the Santuario di Nostra Signora del Fontan (Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Fountain): it may look like any other typical mountain church from the outside but the interior will take your breath away: on the walls is a fresco of the Last Judgement by Giovanni Canavesio, a late 15th century wandering painter. It's easy to see why it's called the Sistine Chapel of the Alps. To cross the border and reach Realdo you have to climb over Passo Sanson. This is the most untamed part of the route. The road, mostly dirt, winds through an alpine environment, a thick forest of larch and fir trees, where sunlight struggles to filter through. At the top, you will encounter the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri that leads to Saccarello. This is the land of the Brigascs, a community with its own language and culture that developed over the centuries thanks to mountain isolation and an agro-pastoral economy, traces of which remain today in Realdo and Verdeggia in the Alta Valle Argentina. Visit the small “A Ca' di Brigaschi” museumto learn more about this population. The road continues, this time asphalted, to Triora, the village of witches (and of the famous Triora bread, which you will certainly appreciate after so many kilometres in the saddle).
Il monte Toraggio
Return to Bordighera
Here are some alternative routes depending on your level of training and equipment:
Easy: from Triora, ride down to Molini di Triora and then climb to Carmo Langan. From there, take Provincial Road SP 64 that follows the Nervia Valley, passing through charming characteristic villages including Isolabona and Dolceacqua.
Moderate: from Triora, ride down to Molini di Triora, then climb up to Carmo Langan, Monte Ceppo and Bajardo to reach the uplands of Sanremo, from where you return to Bordighera crossing the Montenero trail network and the spectacular Passo del Bandito, a stunning viewpoint over the Flower Riviera.
Challenging: Passo Sanson - Colla Langan - Baiardo alternative route
There is a shorter (but more technical) route that connects the Passo Sanson to Colla Langan and then to Monte Ceppo. Take this route if you’re an expert and have an e-Mtb with a fully charged battery: like all shortcuts, it has more twists and turns but will take you to places that are far from the outside world: to Cima Marta, where an impenetrable fortress was carved into the mountain, and close to the “Matterhorn of the Maritime Alps”, Monte Toraggio, which, along with nearby Pietravecchia, shares the Alpine Trail, a spectacular path carved into the rock. You will reach an altitude of 2,000 metres at Monte Grai and then begin the long descent to Colle Langan and from there to Ceppo-Tomena, from where you will reach Baiardo, the village of the Celts.
Museo Bicknell, Bordighera
Bordighera
A bicycle is the perfect way to reach Bordighera, the city of palms: it will feel as if you have stepped into a painting by Monet, another illustrious “victim” of this town. In 1878, Clarence Bicknell transformed Villa Rosa, the house he had purchased, into a museum with an exquisite library where visitors could admire the material he had collected during his scholarly studies. Today, it is home to the prestigious International Institute of Ligurian Studies and visiting it will revive both the body and mind: it has the air and atmosphere of a library of yesteryear with books arranged on wooden shelves, and is surrounded by lush exotic plants, palm trees, jacaranda trees, wisteria and a large Ficus Macrophilla at the entrance to the garden.
