The Riviera beaches and the gulf of Genoa are only half an hour away..

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Ovada has an interesting and semi-pedestrianised historic centre. The Cathedral (Duomo) can seem a little plain on the outside, but make sure to visit inside! Market days are Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Antique fairs are also held several times a year.

The tourist office in Ovada, in the historic centre, is open in the morning from Tuesday to Saturday and in the afternoons from Wed. to Sat. The local ‘Punto d’ Unione’ in the centre of Trisobbio is open for a couple of hours each day. The time-table is displayed outside.

Many castles in the region are open for visits. Trisobbio castle and tower is usually viewable during restaurant opening hours. For more information on the castles, please ask at the tourist office.

The local grapes are Dolcetto, Barbera and the white Cortese. There are many wineries or ‘Cantina’ s that are open for wine tasting, including Tagliolo castle which is open almost every day.

Trisobbio is located on an inter-castle footpath network. There is a map at the start to one of the paths, directly outside the Cascina.

A sports and swimming pool complex is only 500mt distant from the farmhouse! There is also similar one at Lerma, which is 5 mins from Tagliolo. Both hire mountain bikes – 6 euros per day (2007). There is a covered pool and gym complex in Ovada.

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There are two regional parks nearby. (Smaller versions of National Parks) The nearest is the Parco di Capanne di Marcarolo. About ten minutes from Tagliolo and thirty from Trisobbio.
- Taking the road to Lerma, turn right just after the bridge and before climbing the hill.

The other park is the Beigua, in the Liguria direction. The view from the ‘Bric del Dente’ is vast and stunning. It is also accessible by car.

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Three places, all around half an hour or so away, claim to be of the ‘biggest in europe’:

Firstly, the aquarium at Genova. Located in the renovated old-harbour area, next to the maritime museum, it makes a good central point from which to see the city. Once you are away from the motorway and enter the centre, you will find that days could be spent here!

There are palaces and galleries, lavish from medieval merchant wealth. The huge ‘old town’ is a warren of characteristic tiny streets. The breathtaking Cathedral links back to the Templar knights and the Crusades.

In second place, is the swimming pool at the Roman bath town of Acqui-Terme. About the size of a football pitch, this open air pool is very popular in the summer. Other attractions are the thermal springs and theraputic hot muds. (15 minutes from Trisobbio).

Thirdly, if you are looking for a few designer label bargains, you may like the designer outlet at Serravalle Scrivia. - A new idea which is growing in popularity. Several european countries now have one but this is the largest and also includes many noteable Italian names.

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The nearest beach is about 35 mins away, at the elegant Riviera resort of Arenzano. – Make sure to visit the ‘villa’ and public park, also with its peacocks and turtles. Next door, quieter and with large free beaches is Cogoleto, many peoples favourite. Visit the ice cream shop ‘Slurp’- probably one of the best for miles around.

Further down the coast is Portofino, where the millionaires often park their yachts and the famous Cinque Terre. A boat (battello) from Genovo, Recco or Sestri Levante is not over expensive. When traffic is heavy it can be an exciting and convenient way to see the coast. The Cinque Terre are also very accessible by train, which in fact was for many years one of the few ways to get there! (local trains are also very cheap)

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Churches and Cemetries are often full of Art, here in Italy. Religious or not, they should be seen. Some of them can rival the best galleries in the World.

The cemetery at Staglieno, a few hundred metres from ‘Genova Est’ on the motorway, is a fast growing ‘must-see’. – For sculpture, this has to be one of the best that there is!

Locally, Trisobbio church dates to the 1300’s with fresco and marble work from the 1500’s. It is of unusually good quality for a small village.

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Further a field, Milan at 90 minutes distance, has a stupendous city centre, (also viewable from the Cathedral roof !). There are countless sophisticated designer shops which are spectactular just to see. In one of its quiet suburbs, it is home to Leonardo’s famous fresco of the ‘last supper’.

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Many other cities are very visit-able too:
Pisa for example, is 2hr 25 min each way, while Turin, the home of ‘The Shroud’ is about 90 mins.

Copyright : Bruce and Gill Miller, Cascina Aie.