The Oropa Way: from Santhià to the Sanctuary

While thousands of walkers converge on the most famous stretches of the Via Francigena, the Oropa Way remains a side route, quiet and intimate, walked mostly by Piedmontese pilgrims and by those seeking a short but intense itinerary. It starts on the plain, where the rice paddies reflect the sky like mirrors, and ends in the mountains, before one of the most important Marian sanctuaries of the Alpine arc. It is precisely this shift between different worlds, more than the length, that is its soul.

From Santhià

The traditional starting point is Santhià, a town in the Vercelli area also crossed by the Francigena, easy to reach because it is served by the railway. From here the route heads north, slowly leaving the plain behind. You walk among fields, irrigation canals and farmsteads, in an agricultural landscape that changes face with the seasons: flooded and silvery in spring, golden towards autumn.

Continuing on, the route reaches the Biella area and touches centres such as Salussola and the surrounding hill country, where the rice paddy gives way to vineyards, woods and small settlements. You cross villages of the Biella territory and skirt sanctuaries and minor chapels, in a crescendo that prepares you for the arrival. As you climb, the Biella Alps draw closer and the air changes.

Towards the sanctuary

The final stages are the most striking: the walk leaves the hills and enters the mountains proper, climbing decisively towards the Oropa basin. The last stretch, immersed in woods and pastures, leads to the great Sanctuary of Oropa, a monumental complex set beneath the peaks, a place of pilgrimage for centuries. Entering the square, after days of plain and climb, is a finale that repays the effort.

The itinerary lends itself to being divided into a few days of walking, with intermediate stages in the villages along the route. It is worth finding out in advance about the stopover points and accommodation, because the offering is simpler and less touristy than on other walks: hostels, pilgrim lodgings and small inns, often to be booked. The dedicated signage helps you find your way, but it is useful to bring a GPS track and a map of the Biella area.

Getting there

Getting there is easy: Santhià is reachable by train and lies near important rail and motorway junctions, so you can start on foot as soon as you step off at the station. At the end, the Sanctuary of Oropa is connected to Biella, from which transport departs for the return: this makes the walk convenient to undertake without a car, leaving the vehicle at home and truly living the slow journey.

When to go

The best period runs from late spring to autumn. May offers the flooded rice paddies and meadows in bloom, September and October bring clear light, warm colours and ideal temperatures for the final climb, as well as a sanctuary less busy than in the peak months. This way you avoid both the summer heat of the plain and the crush of the great religious festivals, when Oropa fills up. Walking in these months it is easy to stay alone for long stretches, accompanied only by the sound of water and of your own steps.

A practical tip: don't underestimate the climatic contrast between the start and the end of the walk. On the plain it can be hot, while in the Oropa basin, at a much higher altitude, the evenings are cool even in summer. Pack a windproof jacket and something warm, shoes already broken in for the final climb and enough water for the stretches between one village and the next. And allow yourself, on arrival, the time to stop: the sanctuary deserves a slow visit, and setting off again straight away would be the worst way to close a walk born to teach slowness.