Bolzano Novarese: Discover forest trails and culture

Bolzano Novarese can be explored for trip planning through two main themes: trails through forest and stream landscapes, and places with a history of ecclesiastical architecture. The routes differ in their landscape features and points of interest. The following examples provide specific points of reference.

Forest trails and varied landscape features

The Lungo Agogna trail leads into the Agogna Valley and runs through woodland with chestnut trees, oaks and hazel shrubs. The valley and woodland together shape the landscape here; the different types of vegetation give the trail further distinctive features. The Piana di Piola – Colle di Artogno – Colle di Colonico route offers a different combination: it passes through an oak forest, by the Barsanella spring and by Scots pines. It also reaches the edge of the Riserva Naturale della Torre di Buccione nature reserve.

The different points of reference are key to comparing the routes: the Lungo Agogna focuses on the Agogna Valley and several named types of vegetation. The route via Piana di Piola combines oak forest, a spring and Scots pines with the edge of the nature reserve. This connection to the reserve applies specifically to this route. This allows you to distinguish the trails by their described features without reducing them to a general forest theme.

The “Prati di S.Giovanni – Laghetto di Boiro – Campi di S.Martino – Sorina” trail begins at piazzale Wojtyla. Laghetto di Boiro was created artificially: the pond was built for fishing in the 1960s and had been out of operation since the early 1990s. Today, the A.I.B. forest fire protection corps uses it as a water reservoir. This places the pond’s history in context: its original use for fishing was followed by its current function as a reservoir. Both aspects are useful points of reference at Laghetto di Boiro.

Another trail runs along the Lagò stream: the “Lagòn – Casa del Lupo” trail follows the stream. Casa del Lupo is a well-preserved country house along the same route. Here, the stream and the country house offer two different points of reference: a waterway along the trail and a rural building. This provides a distinct focus alongside routes whose features are primarily woodland, a spring or the edge of a nature reserve.

Ecclesiastical architecture and historical references

The Chiesa di San Martino “di Ingravo” brings together several historical aspects. Its first construction phase probably dates to the 12th century; the church is an example of rural Romanesque architecture. Frescoes from the 15th and 16th centuries have been preserved inside. To understand the chronology, it is worth distinguishing between the construction phase and the frescoes: the dating of the first phase is probable, while the surviving paintings are from later centuries.

The Oratorio San Carlo is dedicated to Saint Carlo Borromeo. A plan of the oratory discovered in the Novara State Archives is dated 1624. These provide two different historical points of reference: the church is notable for its probable construction phase, Romanesque classification and frescoes; the oratory for its dedication and the dated plan. If you include local history in your trip planning, you can consider architecture, interior paintings and archival references as distinct themes.

When choosing a hotel in Bolzano Novarese, this comparison of themes may be useful: the trails described offer different connections to forests, streams and bodies of water, while the church and oratory reveal different aspects of the town’s history. Which of these you give more weight to depends on your travel interests.

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For the main travel overview: Novara.