Ciclovia Svizzera Mare (Switzerland-Sea Cycle Route)
The Ciclovia Svizzera Mare (Route 15 in the Bicitalia network) connects Switzerland's Ticino region with Italy's Ligurian coast at Sanremo. This north-south corridor spans approximately 400 kilometers through northern Italy, beginning at Lake Maggiore and crossing six Piedmont provinces before reaching the Mediterranean.
The route traverses distinct geographical zones:
- Alpine Lakes Region: Verbano-Cusio-Ossola area with Lake Maggiore
- Po Valley Plains: Flat terrain through Novara and Vercelli with extensive rice cultivation
- Hill Country: Monferrato, Roero and Langhe regions with vineyards and scattered medieval settlements
- Tanaro River Valley: Following the river upstream toward the mountains
- Ligurian Mountains: Crossing at Colle di Nava pass (approximately 940m elevation)
- Mediterranean Coast: Descent through terraced olive groves to the sea
Key transit points include Novara, Vercelli, Casale, Asti, Alba, and Imperia. A section between the Tanaro Valley and mountains utilizes an eleven-year-dormant railway bed being converted to a cycleway. The final coastal segment runs along a former railway track directly adjacent to beaches and rocky shorelines.
The route forms a crucial link in the European cycling network by connecting:
- EuroVelo 7 (North-South European route) via Swiss national route 3
- EuroVelo 8 (Mediterranean route) heading west toward France's Provence region
This corridor passes through Piedmont's food production regions, including rice-growing areas, the Barolo and Barbaresco wine districts, and Liguria's olive cultivation zones.