“We like to define ourselves as cyclists. Lovers of climbs, of effort, and of that slow time that only the bicycle knows how to give.” From this profound passion a life project was born: Casa Bart, where the sporting dimension of the bicycle meets the pure pleasure of travel.
Here Augusta and Luca take care of cycle travelers, her with her warm welcome that smells of biscuits, him, a certified cycle tour guide of the Piedmont Region, offering guests his technical expertise, knowledge of secondary roads and the best routes. From Casa Bart start road cycle touring itineraries designed for those who seek iconic routes and want to live cycling as an experience of travel, exploration and sharing.
ICONIC CLIMBS AND CYCLETURISM
Casa Bart is one of those places that seem made for those who love to pedal. Not a simple starting point, but a door that opens towards the mountains: from here you take roads that slowly climb, face curves that tell stories and reach passes that have tested professionals of the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France.
For those who love road bikes, leaving from Casa Bart means choosing a different challenge each day, with the awareness that every climb is a story to live firsthand. Every outing is a journey into the history of cycling and the character of the Cuneese territory, where effort is always accompanied by beauty, silence and a sense of conquest.
Because here, more than elevation, emotions are collected.
COLLE FAUNIERA: THE THREE ACCESS ROUTES FROM CASA BART
The climb to Fauniera, or Colle dei Morti, is perhaps the most iconic. It is also considered among the 20 hardest in Italy. It is a mountain that gives no concessions, one of those climbs that take you slowly and then never let go. Riding here is an exercise in humility: you climb with your head down, but it’s enough to lift it to see a horizon that repays every pedal stroke.
The Colle can be climbed from three ways: from the Grana Valley, the classic route that passes in front of the Sanctuary of San Magno, from the Maira Valley, through the Colle Esischie, or from the Stura Valley. From whichever side you arrive, it remains a great climb, hugely satisfying. At the top you then find yourself before the legend: the statue of Marco Pantani, which commemorates the feat at the Giro d’Italia in 1999, where he attacked on the climb, conquering the Pink Jersey at the end of the stage.
#DYK (did you know?): The actual arrival is at Colle dei Morti (2481 m a.s.l.), called this way because of a bloody battle that took place nearby between Piedmontese and French during the Wars of Independence. Colle Fauniera, 2511 m a.s.l., can be reached on foot.
COLLE DELLA MADDELENA: “A MAN ALONE IN COMMAND”
From the opposite side, the climb to Colle della Maddalena, inextricably linked to Fausto Coppi’s feat at the Giro d’Italia in 1949, changes the whole tone. It’s a more “road-like” climb — long and regular, almost reassuring in its progression. Here cycle touring becomes rhythm and structure: after Argentera begins the most fascinating stretch of the climb, 10 hairpins in 3 kilometers.
It is really spectacular here, where the landscape opens onto a side valley and the vegetation becomes increasingly sparse. The road develops up to the saddle at 1996 m above sea level in a truly suggestive setting.
Just a few meters from the summit there is a stele that remembers Fausto Coppi and the phrase “a man alone in command” with which the radio commentary of that memorable day of sport began.
COLLE DI SAMPEYRE, BETWEEN THE MAIRA AND VARAITA VALLEYS
Wilder and less predictable is the climb to Colle di Sampeyre, with a circular tour on the watershed between the Maira and Varaita Valleys.
The climb from the Maira Valley in 1995 saw the Giro d’Italia, during which Colle di Sampeyre (2284 m above sea level) was the first King of the Mountains of the 19th stage. Riding through the Maira Valley, at Bassura di Stroppo you turn right, where, at Paschero, you encounter the church of San Giovanni Battista and that of San Peyre. Among conifer woods and views of the Vallone di Elva upper reaches, the Colle della Cavallina is reached.
From a cycle touring perspective it is one of the most fascinating climbs, because it alternates hard sections with moments of breathing, always offering different panoramas.
COLLE DELL’AGNELLO: THE TRIAL OF THE TEN (%)
And then there’s him, Colle dell’Agnello, the giant. Climbing the Agnello starting from Casa Bart means planning an epic day, one that will be remembered for years. Between the Varaita Valley and the Queyras, at 2744 m above sea level, it is the highest paved pass in Europe on the border between Italy and France. The final kilometers, above the tree line, are an almost lunar experience: the road climbs among rocks, the gradient becomes serious and the mind must convince the body to continue.
The average gradient of the last 9.4 km is 9.9%, making it one of the most challenging ascents in Europe. Eight hairpins represent the heart of the climb, constantly at 10%: here cycling becomes pure adventure. At the top a huge stone marks the border between Italy and France.
