Molare

A wild stretch of the Orba torrent where the water runs clear green between wooded rock walls, with pebble beaches and natural pools deep enough to dive into. A short, steep five-minute path drops you from the car park to the water, so wear proper shoes — no flip-flops. The Green Canyon association runs it on a small annual membership (about €20 for adults, €10 for children 5–14, free under 5), which brings free parking, hot showers, a bar and restaurant, a campsite, and a programme of yoga, massage and workshops. It stays quiet and unmanicured — pack out your own rubbish — and it's one of the loveliest places to swim in the whole southern Monferrato.

On 13 August 1935 the Bric Zerbino dam above Molare gave way after a day of extreme rain, releasing the Ortiglieto reservoir in a wall of water that tore down the Orba valley toward Ovada and killed more than a hundred people. The broken concrete barrage and its lone surviving gauge tower still stand in the wooded gorge, a stark memorial to one of Italy's worst dam disasters. It's reached on foot from the valley road below the village.

A Marian sanctuary set on the wooded slopes above Molare, cared for by the Passionist community and open to pilgrims every day. Behind its pale twin-tone façade the church draws steady streams of visitors to the shrine of the Madonna delle Rocche; recent flooding damaged the complex and a restoration appeal is under way.

A family-friendly wildlife park at the gateway to the upper Orba valley, where roe deer and other animals roam wooded enclosures beside a picnic area with tables, benches and barbecues. It runs summer camps, school nature trails and hosts parties and events, making it an easy half-day out with children.

A neoclassical noble residence on its own private square in the heart of Molare, with an imposing symmetrical façade, a projecting portal beneath a central balcony, and two later corner turrets. Inside, twin grand staircases climb to a ballroom entered under a triumphal arch bearing the Tornielli coat of arms, and a 'Bishop's room' keeps a ceiling worked in gold leaf on a deep blue ground. It's a listed historic house (dimora storica) used for events and visits.

Molare's medieval castle crowns the old village, a cylindrical brick tower beside a taller square keep visible for miles across the Orba valley. It remains a private residence and isn't open to visitors, but it's the landmark you'll see first on the drive in.