Wandering in Langa

Walking in the Langhe with children

December 7, 2024

Walking among the vineyards is something truly inspiring, especially in autumn, when the hills are colored red, orange and yellow.

It is a spectacle of colors, musty scents and breathtaking atmospheres.

And what better way to fully immerse yourself in the experience than with a nice walk through the rows?

Perhaps on paths enhanced by art installations, gnomes or other magical creatures that can stimulate children’s imaginations and entice them to walk.

So let’s discover some of the Langhe’s most picturesque, child-friendly walks.

Gnomovia of Mango

The one on the Gnomovia in Mango, is definitely the most beautiful walk to take with children.

In fact, along the way, we admire various scenes from the lives of the main characters who are, in fact, gnomes!

Gnomes at the gym, gnomes on bikes, gnomes at school–there’s something for everyone!

Every nook and cranny of the promenade, by the way, provides striking views of the Muscat-grown vineyards and is a wonder for the eyes, especially at this time of year.

Useful information: the Gnomovia is 4 kilometers long (loop route) and has an elevation gain of about 100 meters so it is, for all intents and purposes, a family walk.

Nigelle Trail

We moved on to Niella Belbo where we discovered a wonderful hiking trail, opened a few months ago.

This is the Nigelle Trail which, unlike the Gnomovia, does not give glimpses of vineyards but winds through hazelnut groves and ancient trees.

The special feature of this trail, is the presence of fairy-tale wood carvings, each accompanied by a visual-tactile and multisensory illustrative panel.

The protagonist in this case is Aria, a little girl who, along the way, will encounter a maiden transformed into Nigella because of her mischievous nature.

From Aria’s adventures, the trail is named.

The route, 2 kilometers long and with an elevation gain of only 45 meters, is suitable for both children and people with disabilities.

Art Park La Court, the museum among the vines

On the border with Monferrato, more precisely in Castelnuovo Calcea, we find one of the rare examples of Land Art among the vineyards.

We are talking about Art Park La Court, an unprecedented open-air museum nestled in the wine-growing landscape of Langhe, Roero and Monferrato.

A unique place where art meets nature.

In fact, a fairy-tale trail, designed by the great Genoese artist Emanuele Luzzati, winds through the vineyard-grown hillsides, following the theme of the four elements: Earth, Water, Air and Fire.

Among the works to be seen are the giant Mother Nature and Astrolabe, both by Luzzati, Chris Bangle’s giant bench, Ugo Nespolo’s Gateway to the Vineyard, and Fossati’s head-shaped sculptures, placed at the beginning of the rows because, in the past, they were thought to be able to protect the vineyard from disease.

The path between the sculptures is about 800 meters long (round trip), and can be walked smoothly by even the youngest children.

Because of the climbs and descents on somewhat bumpy dirt road, however, it is not passable with a stroller.

From La Morra to the Brunate Chapel

UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014, La Morra is a beautiful village known for its belvedere over the vineyards, its wineries, and also for the chapel created by Sol LeWitt and David Tremlett.

This is the Brunate Chapel, also known as the Barolo Chapel, which is always popular with children because of its bright colors.

The walk leading to the chapel is on Barolo Trail No. 7.

The Annunziata in the distance
The Annunziata in the distance

The route, with the soft hills of Roero in the background, passes through the Barolo vineyards so it is very scenic.

It is also passable by childrenbut, in this case, they need to be accustomed to trekking because they have to face, in total, 11.5 kilometers.

The starting point of the hike is the tourist office in La Morra while the arrival is the Belvedere in Castello Square.

Conclusions

Walking is good for your health: it is an opportunity to get some exercise, outdoors.

And it’s even more enjoyable if the walks are on easy, family-friendly, and incredibly scenic trails, like the ones we just described in the beautiful Langhe area!