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Valle Maira, an unspoiled mountain region in Piedmont
Valle Maira, an authentic mountain region in the Italian Alps
Valle Maira is a valley about 45 kilometers long in the province of Cuneo in Piedmont. Valle Maira is a surprisingly beautiful and peaceful area with authentic villages nestled on steep slopes along rivers and streams.
A wonderful destination for a hiking vacation in nature, with excellent cuisine to boot. Read more about this area and discover its most beautiful spots, including places to stay.
Due to its isolated, mountainous location and the exodus of young people—which has led to lagging industrial development—the region is a truly authentic slice of Italy in the border area with France. Breathtaking views, traditional folk festivals, and delicious local cuisine.
In the Valle Maira, you’ll truly be among the locals. Historic family homes featuring traditional architecture, yet equipped with modern comforts. With an eye for detail and small-scale charm, you’ll find distinctive and often sustainable accommodations here.
The valley lies northwest of Cuneo and is home to 13 authentic villages. Each one is unique and has its own long history. Some are located in the lowlands, some in the hills, and others in the mountainous region. They are connected by ancient hiking trails and mountain passes.
The mountains in the Valle Maira
The upper Valle Maira—with the villages of Prazzo, Elva, Marmora, Canosio, and Acceglio—has become a world-renowned hiking destination. We’ve picked out the most beautiful spots.
Highlights of Valle Maira
The Rocca Provenzale and Borgata Chiappera
The Rocca Provenzale is an immensely tall rock that rises vertically from the meadows behind Chiappera. Chiappera is the last village you’ll come across in the higher-altitude region. In the summer, it’s a beautiful area for hiking and climbing; in the winter, it’s a skier’s paradise. The border with France features mountains reaching heights of about 3,000 meters.
Lago Nero in Canosio
Lago Nero in Canosio is accessible via an easy hike (with stunning views). It’s a pristine, small mountain lake surrounded by green shores, pine trees, and rocks. There are several ways to hike to the lake, including one particularly beautiful loop trail.
Lake Resile in Marmora
An easy hike at nearly 2,000 meters above sea level. The lake is located just past Marmora, near the Colle-del-Mulo road. It was originally a glacial lake. On clear days, you can see Mount Monviso to the north from here.
Borgata San Martino di Stroppo
The last little hamlet on the road to Elva. It’s in a fascinating location on the mountainside. The village dates back to before the 17th century and is a beautiful area for hiking along old mule trails.
Church of San Peyre
A 12th-13th-century church at an elevation of 1,233 meters. The interior is open to visitors only on Sundays in August, but it is well worth a visit for its 14th-century paintings and frescoes.
Ponte del Diavolo in Dronero
The Devil’s Bridge in Dronero, dating from 1428. A medieval drawbridge—a masterpiece of its time—steeped in history and legends. In 1810, the drawbridge was removed and the area was widened to accommodate a more modern access road.
Nature Reserve dei Ciciu del Villar
A large protected area covering 64 hectares featuring the erosion phenomenon known as “erosion columns.” These earthen pyramids, located at the foot of Mount San Bernardo, are natural sculptures shaped like giant mushrooms. The reserve’s name is derived from the Piedmontese term “Ciciu ‘d pera” (stone doll). The area is open to visitors year-round, including guided tours, and features beautiful hiking trails.
Rocca la Meja and the Gardetta Plateau
Do you want to travel back in time, or are you fascinated by dinosaurs? Then pay a visit to the Gardetta Plateau. Huge dinosaur footprints dating back millions of years have been found here. It remains an active research site to this day.
Open every Saturday and Sunday from early July through mid-September, and daily from August 9 through August 20, with a shuttle service from Grangia Selvest in Preit.
The plateau lies at an altitude of 2,000 meters and is dominated by the Dolomite peak Rocca la Meja. It is one of the most beautiful mountains in the Cuneo Alps, featuring the remains of military settlements. You can reach the summit via a fairly easy trail. It’s a wonderful hike with stunning views.
Fremo Cuncunà
A remarkable rock formation in Elva, in the village of Colle San Giovanni, offering—once again—a breathtaking view. Nearby stands the chapel of San Giovanni, which shares the same name. This spot is certainly reminiscent of Preikestolen in Norway. In addition to this protruding rock, Fremo Cuncunà is actually a group of rocks with a very unique shape: that of a crouching woman, known in Occitan as “Fremo Cuncunà.” By the way, the best view of the crouching woman is from the Vallone di Elva road!
The Stroppia Waterfall, the highest in Italy
A relatively unknown waterfall, but the highest in Italy. With a drop of nearly 500 meters, it’s a spectacular sight. You can hike up to it, but it’s quite a challenge. You can also admire the waterfall from a distance at the Mistral campground near the “sorgenti del Maira.” A wonderful starting point for the beautiful hiking trail“The Lakes of Piergiorgio Frassati.”
Hiking in the Valle Maira
I’ve already mentioned a few hikes above that take you to the most beautiful spots in the Valle Maira. The area is a popular destination for trail running, hiking, and walking. It offers a wide range of possibilities and challenges, such as the Via Ferrata, but there’s also plenty to enjoy for less experienced hikers. Here you’ll find more information about all the hikes in the area.
Guided Hikes in the Valle Maira
Read more here about an 8-day hiking trip in the Valle Maira. Your accommodations, luggage transport, routes, and on-site guidance are all included. You can book directly through our local partner.
Occitan Trails in the Maira Valley
The Valle Maira also offers a 14-stage long-distance hike: the Percorsi Occitani. Locanda Mistral is located along the 7th stage, and from there you can also tackle other sections; guide Renato will be happy to assist you. He can arrange transfers, equipment, and packed lunches, among other things.
The best months for this trail are May, June, September, and October. If you hike the entire route, it will take you about 2 weeks. The trails are well marked, and the hike is manageable if you’re in good physical condition.
Here you’ll find more information about all the stages, the difficulty level, and possible places to stay along the trail.
E-Mountain Biking in Valle Maira
There are several places where you can rent e-mountain bikes and go e-mountain biking (with a guide, if you’d like).
The Occitan language in an isolated region
“Un pas après l’autre,” step by step in his Valle Maira dialect. Due to its secluded location in the mountains near the French border, a distinct dialect has developed here that is spoken in several places across Europe: Occitan. It is a mix of French, Italian, and Spanish. In addition to this region, this unique language is also spoken in parts of France and Spain.
Events in Valle Maira
Between mid-July and the end of November, there are many local (harvest) celebrations and festivals. In June, Dronero hosts the“anchovy festival,” which commemorates the anchovy fishermen who brought their catch from Liguria.
Sustainable Destination
The Valle Maira has managed to preserve itself from the influences of modern times. It is green, unspoiled, and attracts tourists who appreciate this and come to enjoy nature.
Most accommodations are old villages or houses that have been renovated in a sustainable manner while preserving the local architecture. Many use alternative energy sources and
Where to Stay in Valle Maira
In general, you’ll find small-scale, authentic accommodations in the valley. We highly recommend the three listed below.
Sagna Rotonda
Sagna Rotonda is a restored hamlet near Marmora that has been transformed into 10 vacation homes. Giovanni and his family extend a warm welcome to you here. A beautifully secluded area in the mountains, perfect for hiking and skiing in the winter. Read more here.
Locanda Mistral
Locanda Mistral is run by Renato (a mountain guide for over 20 years) and Manuela (an excellent chef). Combine the experience of the beautiful natural surroundings with the restaurant’s local dishes. Read more about Locanda Mistral here.
Mistral Campground
Camping Mistral is just a 15-minute drive from Locanda Mistral. The campground is located in the heart of a Natura 2000 area and is part of the Maritime Alps Park. A beautiful spot for adventurers seeking unspoiled nature. It features 12 tent sites and 6 RV sites. A small, fully sustainable campground with a few spots for tents and RVs. Here, you’re surrounded by nature and can join the staff in helping with and enjoying nature conservation efforts.
How do you get to Valle Maira?
The Valle Maira is located in Piedmont, northeast of Cuneo. From Turin, as well as from France and the Ligurian coast, take the Cuneo exit.
You can also reach Cuneo by train from Genoa, Milan, or Turin. From there, you can take the Benese bus service, route 78, to the valley.
The nearest airport is Turin. Otherwise, the airports in Milan or Genoa.
With a passion for travel and photography and over 30 years of experience in the travel industry, I love to share my special nature travel tips. Travel is wonderful and important, you meet new people and cultures and it opens your view of the world.
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A really beautiful six-day hike from Bologna to Florence. Communication with NatureTravelLab and the local agent was excellent. The information packet was waiting for us at the hotel in Bologna, and the app with the route worked great. Luggage transport was well organized every day, and our bags were waiting for us each time we arrived at our new room! We covered more than 1,400 meters of elevation gain, but unfortunately didn’t always get the views we’d hoped for due to cloud cover and some drizzle. Most days had great hiking weather. It was wonderful to walk into Florence on foot and stay there an extra day.
We experienced the Walk of the Gods as a great adventure. Our start in Bologna didn’t go quite as planned because our app wasn’t working yet and we couldn’t find a single sign for Via degli Dei in the square. Fortunately, we were quickly able to join two young hikers from Florence who were also doing the hike. After a wonderful night’s stay at the beautiful Rio Verde agritourism farm, Day 2 went much better with the help of the hiking app. Along the way, we enjoyed stunning views, met some great fellow hikers, and sampled delicious local dishes. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t always on our side, and we had a day of heavy rain, which made the trail very slippery and required us to be careful. It’s a real treat when, on the last day, you can already see Florence in the distance and walk into this beautiful city a few hours later. Thank you so much for your quick and friendly responses to all our questions.
We enjoyed the trip. We also made some changes to our itinerary, and the email correspondence went very smoothly. We started in Mantera; the next day, our first and only hike was a really beautiful one. The taxi picked us up right on time. Unfortunately, the second day’s route was almost the same when we cycled to Ostuni. The bikes were well-maintained, including panniers and helmets (these were simply included). You could even bring your own water bottle!!! We found the route very scenic and varied. There were charming little villages where we could stop for lunch or coffee. The app worked great. All the hotels ranged from good to excellent, though we didn’t think the hotel in Leuca was worthy of 4 stars. We followed your advice for the two nights we stayed there. We found Leuca a bit underwhelming for a two-day stay. We would have preferred to stay in Gallipoli or Lecce for two days. We took this trip in April and were very lucky with the weather. It’s still a quiet time of year, but we didn’t mind that. We definitely recommend it!!!
Thanks to a great tip from Nature Travel Lab, we had a wonderful week in Italy. Fattoria di Maiano, just outside Florence, was a beautiful and peaceful place. And the suggested road trips were a great guide for exploring the region. We’ll definitely check here for tips for our next vacation, too. Highly recommended!
We spent a divine week in Italy: we walked the Path of the Gods, from Bologna to Florence—about 135 km spread over 6 days of hiking. Challenging distances and climbs, amazing views, nature, and a warm welcome every time we arrived at the agriturismo or albergo/hotel. All of this was perfectly organized by the Italian company Slow Active Tours, entirely in line with Nature Travel Lab’s itinerary proposal: upon arrival in Bologna, an information packet was waiting for us, complete with a hiking map, a booklet, and passports for the stamps. And the hiking app was very practical for along the way! Our luggage was transported every day and was always waiting for us when we arrived at the next location. Communication was smooth and clear. In short, highly recommended, well worth it, and well-organized.
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Nature Travel Lab provided us with very helpful and honest assistance!
If you’re looking for travel itineraries, the most beautiful hikes, and destinations, you can find it all here. You’ll find endless inspiration for your next trip. Beautiful cities are interspersed with nature. You’ll find everything you need to know about practical matters. Plus, there are plenty of tips for sustainable travel. That way, you’ll get the most out of your trip.
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Are you looking for the most beautiful hiking and biking routes? Or do you want information about traveling by train or advice for the most beautiful road trips through nature. Get inspired for your next trip in green; ideas for planning your own trip or opting for an organized trip.
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