Just 50 km from Milan, the Po plain begins to ripple and rise gently along the valley of the river Staffora: here, in the heart of Oltrepò Pavese, begins a route exclusively for cyclists, pedestrians and nature lovers, a green way towards the Appennines.

It is the Voghera – Varzi Greenway, a shared cycle-pedestrian pathway that winds through fields, vineyards and small woodlands, following the old route of the Voghera Varzi railway. The Greenway is the ideal opportunity for discovering a land rich in historical and environmental attractions, the home of out standing food and wine like Oltrepò wine and Varzi Salami.

Thanks to a newly built path and accurate signposting, you can experience the landscape and the beauty of the completed route from Voghera to the thermal spring of Salice Terme, along 14 km of sport, nature and culture

Right along the cycle-pedestrian path, and particularly on the stretch that goes from Retorbido to Rivanazzano Terme, is landscape of carefully tended farmland: оп the plains, there are mainly wheat, barley and corn fields (on soil particularly suited to growing cereals), while vines reign on the hills, having been cultivated there for over 2,000 years. There are still mulberry trees scattered here and there, a reminder of bygone times when they used to stand in rows. Thanks to the nearby Staffora river, a natural passageway for different wildlife, you may come across roe deer or even wild boar, down from the hills, or small animals like stone martens, badgers or foxes. Bird-watchers can spot the tree sparrow, the pheasant, the stonechat and the kestrel.

The Greenway is not just nature: in fact, from the route of the former railway, you can admire Nazzano, whose powerful castle built by the Malaspina marquises around 1000, strategically dominates the entrance to the valley and the entire Greenway. The ancient history of these lands appears in other points along the route: Rivanazzano Terme boasts one of the few pentagonal towers in. Europe, Retorbido is home to the neoclassical Durazzo-Pallavicini palazzo, and there are thermal springs in Rivanazzano and in the nearby Salice. From the noble and Roman Iria (Voghera) to the medieval village of Varzi, there are plenty of historical and monumental treasures in the Staffora, Ardivestra, Nizza and Tidone valleys, all waiting to be discovered, sustainably,from the shared cycle and pedestrian path.