Discover Santo Stefano Belbo: Literature, Trails and Wine

Santo Stefano Belbo combines literary memory, medieval traces, wine and trails through a varied landscape. The medieval tower is the only surviving material evidence of the original settlement of Santo Stefano Belbo and the castle that once stood there. The weekly market in Santo Stefano Belbo, held in Piazza Umberto I for more than three centuries, offers an immediate insight into local daily life. Local wine production includes, in particular, Moscato d’Asti and Asti Spumante DOCG.

Literature and Historical Sites

The connection with Cesare Pavese can be encountered in several places. In Santo Stefano Belbo, there are book-shaped literary benches featuring passages from the works of Cesare Pavese. The deconsecrated Church of Santi Giacomo e Cristoforo was built between the late 13th and early 14th centuries and is now home to the auditorium of the Fondazione Cesare Pavese. The history of the Abbey of San Gaudenzio reaches back even further: it was founded by Benedictine monks in the Romanesque style before the year 1000.

Open-Air Art

The Museo a Cielo Aperto di Camo displays more than 90 works along the streets of Camo, a hamlet of Santo Stefano Belbo. Since 2013, the Museo a Cielo Aperto di Camo has hosted more than 400 artists from all over Italy. Another way to explore the surrounding area on foot and with additional information is provided by the Multimedia Outdoor Museum. It consists of five themed routes suitable for walks. The associated app guides visitors from the starting point of each route and provides notifications near the totems.

Trails Through the Belbo Plain and Hills

Different types of routes are available for hikes and bike rides. The Sentieri Pavesiani network comprises 15 trails, including their variants, and extends for approximately 60 kilometres. The Sentieri Pavesiani offer trails of varying difficulty, including routes along the Belbo and long ridge trails with views over the hilly landscape. When planning, you can therefore choose between shorter sections close to the river and more extensive ridge trails without losing sight of the area’s contrasting landscapes.

The Grande Traversata delle Langhe also offers several ways to experience the landscape actively. It comprises 17 stages, or 34 stages including the variants, and is intended for hiking, cycling and the use of environmentally friendly means of transport. The different stage lengths and variants can therefore be incorporated into your travel plans if you wish to focus your stay more strongly on activity, landscapes or a combination of both.

Visits and Special Dates

Upon request, guided tours of the Pavese sites with specialised guides are available for individuals, organised groups, schools and companies. The guided tours of the Pavese sites last approximately two hours and can also be conducted in English or German upon request. This makes it easier to choose an option if you wish to explore the area’s literary heritage in greater depth or are travelling in a group.

A notable date in the annual calendar is 4 August. Every year on 4 August, the signal to light the bonfires that illuminate the surrounding hills is given from the Sanctuary of Madonna della Neve. The landscape itself has a clear spatial contrast: the Belbo floodplain is the only non-hilly area in the territory of Santo Stefano Belbo. For planning your stay, this means a clearly recognisable mix of flatter landscapes and trails leading into the hills.

If you choose Santo Stefano Belbo as your destination, several interests come together here: Pavese and his literary traces, sacred and medieval architectural history, open-air art, wine and trails of varying difficulty. You can therefore focus your stay on culture, walks, longer hikes or bike rides, as well as exploring the landscape.

Further Destinations for Orientation

Further places for planning your trip: Barolo, Roddino, Macra, Cuneo, Roccasparvera, Viola, Breolungi and Bonvicino.

To the higher-level travel overview: Cuneo.