Ozieri
map of Ozieri with the marked sights
Ozieri is the economic center of the Logudoro region.
The production of milk and cheese in the surrounding area is the most important source of income for the entire region.
Ozieri is also famous for its sospiri (“sighs”) – an almond pastry that is one of Sardinia’s culinary specialties.
Away from the usual tourist routes, you can experience a typical, very lively Sardinian town in Ozieri.
The town clings to the slopes of a valley and is difficult to navigate by car.
It is best to leave your vehicle near Piazza Garibaldi and explore Ozieri on foot from there.
Cattedrale dell’Immacolata
The Cathedral of Ozieri is easily reachable from Piazza Garibaldi with a 10-minute walk.
The bell tower, rising above the rooftops, helps with orientation in the maze of upward-leading alleys.
The altarpiece of the Madonna di Loreto from the 16th century is worth seeing.
This church was built in the neoclassical style and is the largest in the town. Previously, a Gothic-Catalan church stood on this site, remnants of which are still partially visible inside the cathedral.
Archaeological Museum
The museum is located in a former monastery complex slightly above the cathedral.
If you stand in front of the cathedral, you will see a narrow passage to the right that leads steeply upward to a small square. Here, turn left to reach the museum.
The collection houses exhibits from prehistory to the Middle Ages, especially finds from the Grotta San Michele.
In this cave, relics from the Stone Age were discovered in the early 20th century. Since then, the era has been referred to as the Ozieri culture.
In front of the museum, there is a terrace with a nice view of parts of the town. However, the view is even better from the hospital parking lot (see below).
Old Town
The streets leading up from the valley floor to the old town are all very steep.
Take your time for a stroll through the town – the cooler morning hours are best for this.
Although most alleys are very narrow, there is a lot of car traffic. As a pedestrian, you need to be very careful.
Most houses are beautifully restored, and there is an overall sense of immaculate cleanliness.
I had to search for a long time to find a viewpoint from which you can see the entire town.
In my opinion, the best view is from the parking lot of the Ozieri hospital.
It’s best to leave your vehicle somewhere in the valley, as only patients and visitors are allowed to park at the hospital.
On foot, the hospital is a 30-minute walk from Piazza Garibaldi.
Just follow the signs for “ospedale.”
Ponte Romano
A bit north of Ozieri, there is a well-preserved Roman bridge.
The structure is just under 90 meters long and dates back to the 1st century AD.
It spanned the Riu Mannu and was part of the Roman road between Caralis (Cagliari) and Turris Lybissonis (Porto Torres).
The river has since been channeled and now runs a little further to the northwest.