The game of bowls is very popular in the Roero district, and has been since ancient times.
But the hillside, with its slopes, isn’t ideal for traditional bowls, which requires flat land.
So in Castellinaldo, a village perched on the hillside and characterised by very steeply sloping streets, they invented a new version of the game, using bowls made of pine wood cubes. The rules are the same as traditional pétanque and the game is played in the streets of the beautiful old town, both up and downhill, with guaranteed fun for experts and beginners alike. Square bowls is, in fact, extremely democratic: it helps the weak and cuts the strong down to size.