Straddling Emilia Romagna and Lombardy, Val Tidone is a strip of land that stretches along the course of the stream of the same name, from Piacenza to the Apennines. Those who decide to visit it will discover a green corner particularly suited to viticulture and dotted with fortresses and castles, such as Rocca d'Olgisio in Pianello Val Tidone.
But Val Tidone is also a place to travel at a slow pace on the trails that cross it. The Tidone Trail is an excellent opportunity to explore it: in fact, this 69-kilometer route follows the course of the stream to its source, skirting enchanting natural environments that change as you ascend toward the mountains.
Whether you undertake it on foot, by bike or on horseback, the trail runs almost entirely on packed earth and gravel, with the exception of a few short sections on paved roads.
Starting from Boscone Cusani, a small hamlet close to a bend in the Po River, the trail climbs along hills and mountains until it crosses the border and ends in the province of Pavia, at Case Matti.
Pedaling along the Tidone, a tributary of the Po, the trail meets and passes a number of towns in the Piacenza area(Rottofreno, Sarmato, Borgonovo Val Tidone, Pianello Val Tidone and Alta Val Tidone), then arrives at the Molato dam and the artificial lake of Trebecco, on the border between Emilia Romagna and Lombardy, at an altitude of about 360 meters above sea level.
Peculiarity of the trail is that it involves fording the stream at some points; however, it is possible to avoid them by following the marked alternative routes.
More info on the official website
