Horseback riding with children in the Savona hinterland

The story

Pony rides and good food in the cool of the Canadian oaks

Once upon a time there was a couple of lovers, Aleramo and Adelasia, forced to flee on horseback from the wrath of her father, the emperor Otto, who however, after many trials and tribulations, eventually consented to the marriage between the two. This troubled love story led to the founding of Alassio and the birth of Monferrato, a territory that Aleramo encircled in three days of breakneck riding and that the emperor granted him as a gift. During their flight with Adelasia, the two took refuge in the woods of the Savona area near Cairo Montenotte, finding shelter under a rock, today known as the Rocca dell'Adelasia, famous for its caves and other karst phenomena and surrounded by the Adelasia Reserve.

Although they did not know it, the two young people were the forerunners of those little and big riders who today enjoy trekking on horseback and excursions right in the romantic woods of the Savona hinterland. For one day we too decided to follow in the footsteps of Aleramo and Adelasia, reaching from the centre of Savona the A.S.D. Aisha Pony Western on via San Bartolomeo del Bosco, 12 kilometres from the Priamar Fortress. The route to get there is convenient; the asphalted road has scenic stretches, but no strain for the car or the driver. The facility is run in collaboration with the Ristorante da Michelin, which opens up the possibility of rewarding ourselves, after the sporting activity, with a nice lunch or dinner based on home-style cooking.

Welcoming us with great kindness are Marco and Franco, the brothers who run the facility together with Giada and grandmother Maria, with a genuine ability to pass on to everyone their passion for nature and for animals. Marco and Giada take care of the riding courses and accompany clients on their horseback rides, while Franco looks after the restaurant. “The name of the facility, Aisha, is a tribute to Giada's mare, Aisha, whom she had been riding since the age of eight. In practice they grew up together. Aisha, a beautiful white mare, is always with us, and we even put her image in our logo,” Marco explains. As we sit at the outdoor bar sipping cool drinks, the children who are with us dash off to explore the woods, scampering among the trees. They can do so without problems since we are on private fenced land.

After a bit of relaxation among the cool branches, we go to meet the animals of the little farm: several very friendly goats, three horses, four ponies and Freddy, the cuddly and mischievous donkey. “Freddy is very sweet, but he always has something to bray about,” the owners joke. Then comes the moment the children have been waiting for, the baptism of the saddle on the pony: an exciting and fun adventure both for the new riders and for their parents. The children who had already had some experience in the saddle can deepen their knowledge through riding lessons. Children under 14 are allowed to go on horseback rides within the large fenced property, while grown-ups, if they are already fairly experienced riders, can go trekking along the area's trails, always accompanied by the instructors.

There are no problems with the times either: from Tuesday to Sunday families with children can also take advantage of the evening hours to take the little ones on a nice pony ride, combining fun with the pleasures of good food. After the rides, in fact, a good meal is called for, and there is nothing better than eating it at the outdoor tables, in the cool of the Canadian oaks. The place is also perfect for parties and birthdays, and between one ride and another you can even have a snack with fritters and sandwiches. The cooking is based on the traditional flavours of the hinterland, in full harmony with the place where we are. We start with homemade ravioli with meat sauce, also available with gorgonzola. Some of us choose the tagliolini with mushrooms, but we also very much like the maltagliati with cocoa and walnut and gorgonzola sauce.

We wash down these delights with Dolcetto and Barbera, and among the main courses we enjoy the pork shank, nice veal cutlets with rocket, veal roasts and grilled pork collar. Someone chooses the sausage, and the wild boar is also a resounding success. On request it is also possible to delight in an excellent paella. After the rich lunch we happily take walks in the area, and there is certainly no shortage of opportunities, since around us stretches the Adelasia Nature Reserve, but we are also near the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri, and the Beigua Regional Nature Park is also just a few kilometres away. In choosing which trails to take we rely on Marco's and Franco's advice, not only when it comes to venturing out on horseback, but also in the saddle of our mountain bikes or even on foot.

Before returning to the city, we don't even skip a cultural stop, pausing in the hamlet of Santuario, a few kilometres from Aisha Pony Western on the road to Savona. A sign warns us that we are on the Napoleonic cultural itinerary that retraces “The first battles of General Bonaparte, commander of the Army of Italy – 1796” in the Bormida Valley. In particular, it recalls the important counter-offensive battle of Montenotte, the first battle of the Italian Campaign, prepared at a meeting right here, in the Santuario hamlet of Savona. But the place is known mainly for more peaceful and even miraculous things, such as the Marian apparition that occurred in 1536 to a farmer who was heading to the vineyard of a sick relative to prune the vines. When he stopped to refresh his face at a stream, he saw a great splendour descend from the sky that took on the divine form of the Virgin.

On the spot was built the Santuario Basilica Madonna della Misericordia, a religious building whose beauty strikes not only tourists but also experts. The art historian Giulio Carlo Argan called this the most beautiful square in the Savona area, and it is easy to agree with him. The sanctuary preserves numerous splendid 16th-century works of art and the artistic atmosphere of the place infects the inhabitants too. Right in a corner of the square is the enchanted, fairy-tale workshop of the artist Imelda Bassanello, who, during her painting courses, creates together with the local people, including the elderly of the retirement home, curious and imaginative works using recycled materials as well.

We return home enriched by a lovely experience that we will not fail to repeat soon, also because our little riders can't wait to jump back into the saddle and show the friendly little donkey Freddy how good they have become.