Liguria and Piedmont by motorcycle: 5 routes between sea and mountains
Picture this: morning coffee on the Riviera, the sea stretching to the horizon. By afternoon, a pass in the Piedmontese Alps, then a stone village for the night. That is exactly what Liguria and Piedmont have just put on the table. For the first time, the two Italian regions are sharing one space at the EICMA show in Milan (November 3–8, 2026, Hall 11, Stand S31), with an offering designed for motorcycle and bicycle tourism fans. On the menu: five motorcycle itineraries between sea and mountains, plus a network of loops called the Loop Trails. One more dream destination for your list.
Five itineraries, from the sea to the mountains
The concept is simple and seriously effective: scenic roads, mountain passes, and links between the coast and the hinterland, between the Riviera and the inland. Each itinerary is an authentic way to cross the region, stopping in historic villages and discovering landscapes, culture and local flavours. Think roads overlooking the sea, ancient routes, perched villages and tables where the food is genuinely local — pesto and focaccia on the Ligurian side, great wines and generous cooking on the Piedmontese side. The five routes form a network built like the links of a chain: each loop connects different places and territories, from the coast to the hinterland, between sea, mountains, valleys and historic villages.
The Loop Trails: the perfect loop
Alongside them, the Loop Trails of Liguria map out a network of circular routes covering all of Liguria: the coast, along the Ciclovia Tirrenica — the Tyrrhenian cycle route linking Ventimiglia to Rome along the Riviera —, then the inland villages and the valleys of Piedmont. By motorcycle or bicycle, you ride from seaside villages to the Piedmontese Alps, or from coastal villages to the Langhe hills, those vineyard-covered hills listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The idea: slow tourism, away from traditional tourist circuits, spreading visitors across the whole year. For a rider, that is the promise of roads that do more than get you from A to B: they loop, they tell a story, they make you want to stop.
Why it speaks to us, Québec riders
Because it is exactly our kind of trip: landscapes that change at every bend, human-scale roads, and stops that are worth the detour. A village like Noli, on the Savona coast, ranked among the most beautiful villages in Italy and a former maritime republic — that is the kind of place where you end up staying longer than planned. And then there is an idea we like: a region to visit all year round, away from the summer crowds. Spring and autumn, when the passes are open and the villages are quiet, are ideal moments for this kind of route.
Planning your trip
Both regions are presenting their joint offering at EICMA in Milan until November 8. To plan your ride, the La Mia Liguria website presents the itineraries and the loops. And if northwestern Italy was not on your list yet, it may just have joined it.
So, would you start with the coast or the mountain passes? Tell us in the comments what makes you dream most about this corner of Italy.
Photos
Main photo: a rider on a Harley in the Dolomites, Sëlva (Trentino-South Tyrol), Italy. Photo: Valter Arici, free Pexels license.
