Among the treasures of the Maira Valley – Occitan Paths

Although it mostly lies in the south of France – the so-called Midi – the Occitania region stretches from the Mediterranean to the Pyrenees and includes some neighbouring areas of Italy and Spain. It’s a land rich in art and nature, history and culture. It’s home to marvellous medieval towns nestled at the foot of perched castles and is the homeland of the langue d'Oc, used by troubadour poets in 12th-century troubadour poetry and still in use today under the name Occitan.

In Italy, Occitania comprises 14 valleys and 120 municipalities in the provinces of Imperia, Turin and Cuneo. It’s precisely in the Cuneo area that the Occitan Paths are developed, an itinerary suitable for mountain biking that connects Villar San Costanzo to Dronero and loops around the Maira Valley for about 175 kilometres (109 mi). You also discover many side valleys, which are often less well-known and less frequented.

In this Collection, I've chosen to divide the Occitan Paths into five stages suitable for mountain biking. I based them on the 14 Occitan Paths’ hiking stages in this Collection: komoot.com/collection/1441046. Each of the stages ends in a small hamlet, usually at a family-run guesthouse. When organising your cycling trip, you can re-plan the itinerary and combine the stages in a different way to ensure you can stay overnight at the end of the day. In any case, I recommend booking accommodation well in advance, especially in summer. You can find the list of stage places on the official website of the Occitan Paths Association: percorsioccitani.com/percorsi-occitani-posti-tappa (in English).

The Occitan Paths mostly follow narrow singletrack, which requires some riding confidence and technical ability. In addition, some sections may require you to dismount and push on foot. Whether you're an amateur or a professional cyclist, I recommend tackling the route on a mountain bike or a gravel bike at least. Don’t ride a road bike.

Always carry a good supply of water (ideally two litres, but at least one) and food. As far as clothing is concerned, I recommend wearing breathable technical clothing and bringing a waterproof coat, as well as some warm layers for the higher passages. Speaking of altitude, in the winter months, you may find heavy snowfall on the high trails. I, therefore, recommend this route between June and October.

The starting point of the Occitan Paths, the Ciciu del Villar Nature Reserve, has ample parking, so it’s convenient to come by car. Travelling by public transport, on the other hand, is longer and more complicated. You'll have to arrive in Cuneo by train and ride about 22 kilometres (14 mi) to reach the Reserve. Alternatively, from Cuneo station, you can take bus number 96 (you can put your bicycle inside the luggage hold) to Roccabruna and get off at Dronero, which is about 20 minutes by bicycle from the reserve car park. The town of Dronero is also the finishing point of the official Occitan Paths route, but I've chosen to end the last stage of this Collection at the Ciciu del Villar Nature Reserve so you can cycle back to the starting point.