The Other Mountain: Adventures and Discoveries from the Maritime Alps to the Friulian Dolomites
In the Cuneo area. Limone Piemonte, Via del Sale and the Occitan valleys
The Cuneo Alps offer two different yet complementary ways to enjoy the mountains in summer. Limone, a historic resort in the Maritime Alps that is easily accessible by train, makes use of the Riserva Bianca facilities to guide hikers and cyclists to high-altitude trails, whilst the ski slopes give way to hikes along scenic paths, via ferrata routes and open-air concerts at high altitude. An unmissable experience is cycling along the famous Via del Sale, the ancient trade route linking Piedmont, Liguria and France, which is now one of the most popular routes for cycling enthusiasts. Heading further west, the Maira Valley perhaps represents the most authentic mountain landscape of the Cuneo region. Here there are no ski resorts or ski lifts, but a network of hiking trails winding through stone-built hamlets, mountain pastures and woods, in the heart of the valleys steeped in Occitan culture. From the paths leading to Chiappera and the alpine springs to the long ‘Percorsi Occitani’ route, the valley has become a hub for slow and sustainable tourism, appreciated even abroad for its unspoilt landscape and widespread hospitality centred around mountain huts, inns and mountain pasture produce.
