23 OCT 2023
THE MAGIC OF AUTUMN FOLIAGE: OASI ZEGNA IN A MOTORHOME
TOURING IN A MOTORHOME
Autumn is a magical time: it is difficult to remain indifferent to the changing face of nature and the colours of the trees as they transform in readiness for winter. Oasi Zegna is one of the most distinctive places in which to savour the atmospheric greenery and enjoy the colours of autumn in a motorhome. This corner of northern Italy is still relatively unknown and located away from the major tourist hotspots, so for these very reasons it is of great interest to those travelling by motorhome.
If you want to enjoy a few days of peace and quiet surrounded by nature, then you can drive your Ducato-based motorhome towards the municipality of Biella in the northeast of Piedmont. It takes less than two hours to get there by motorhome from Milan or Turin, and there is no shortage of places to stop, some of which are fully equipped for campers. This is a 100-square-kilometre wooded nature reserve in the Biellese Alps at fairly low altitude, depending on the area.
It was here in the early 1900s that entrepreneur Ermenegildo Zegna founded the wool mill that still bears his name today. But besides being a successful textile entrepreneur, Zegna was also a patron of the arts, and loved his local area so much that he started a reforestation project, which over time led to the planting of 500,000 trees. Ermenegildo Zegna also carried out many other initiatives to promote the Biellese Alps, including the construction of a road, the Panoramica Zegna (provincial road 232) which connects various villages along the mountainside. All this work was not in vain, on the contrary in fact. In 1993 the Oasi Zegna was established, which also received financial backing from the FAI (Italian Environment Fund) in 2014, with the objective of environmental sustainability, protecting the local territory and creating a perfect balance between people and the mountain.
Today Oasi Zegna is a large nature park that spans the area from Trivero to the Cervo torrent, perfect for those who want to spend a few days in a motorhome surrounded by nature. The Panoramica Zegna road provides access to various points of interest and affords a panoramic view of the Po Valley, the Sessera Valley and the Alpine chain (including Monte Rosa). In October and November, the biodiverse Oasi Zegna offers spectacular scenery, with the green conifers contrasting with the variegated colours of the deciduous trees, ranging from golden yellow to fiery red and with orange and brown hues in between.
In this nature reserve you can take relaxing walks in the tranquil woods, but if you want something more challenging, you can some hiking or follow the trails on a mountain bike or on horseback.
Experience the park’s family-friendly forests: you will come across strange wooden sculptures in “Bosco Animato” (Lively Forest) and rediscover harmony with nature in “Bosco del Sorriso” (Smiling Forest), along an experiential trail in which visitors are encouraged to touch or hug the trees to assimilate the bioenergy they transmit. Bielmonte is the most well-equipped destination from a tourist point of view, also due to the availability of ski slopes and ski lifts. If you prefer to seek out a wilder, more natural spot you can venture on foot or by mountain bike into the Alta Valsessera, where red deer and roe deer roam in large numbers.
In short, if you want to immerse yourself in nature and let yourself by inspired by the myriad colours of autumn, perhaps with a good book in hand, there are few more charming destinations to visit in your Ducato-based motorhome than Oasi Zegna.