Hikes in Sambuco

 An evocative combination of outdoor activities, discoveries of biodiversity and traces of prehistory.

Nice hike on quiet paths with a magnificent backdrop.

Passable on foot, by MTB and on horseback, the Percorsi Occitani represent the most popular circuit in the Maira Valley.

On ancient cultural paths around the Maira Valley The Mairaweg has become a classic of the Southern Alps. Percorsi Occitani are the hiking trails that make up the Mairaweg. They lead into an old Occitan cultural area, into a valley barely touched by tourism, full of original villages, fascinating cultural treasures (such as the famous cycle of frescoes by Hans Clemer in the church of Elva) and scenic highlights. On old mule tracks, so-called mulattiere, the Maira Valley can be walked around in two weeks. Numerous crossing and connecting trails also allow shorter circuits.At the beginning of the 1990s, the Mairaweg was established, meaning the old connecting paths between the villages were restored to counteract rural exodus to the cities with a new source of income. The depopulation of the Cottian Alpine valleys particularly affected the Maira Valley. In some villages, the population dropped to a few elderly people who hardly managed to cultivate the land anymore. The paths became overgrown, reforestation occurred. With the success of the Mairaweg, which mainly attracts German-speaking pleasure hikers, life has returned to the villages. Today, every stage location has accommodation, a restaurant, and sometimes a shop. The Centro Culturale Borgata also plays a major role. Andrea and Maria Schneider, he from Austria, she from Germany, permanently settled in the Maira Valley in 1980 and not only provided work for local teachers with a language school but also rekindled interest in the valley a bit. The language school has since developed into a meeting place. In 1988, the Schneiders bought the abandoned hamlet San Martino inferiore and converted several farmhouses into charming guesthouses. Both have now passed away. In November 2005, a commemorative plaque was dedicated to Andrea Schneider in San Martino, honoring his great commitment to the tourist development of the Maira valley. In the early 1990s, the Mairaweg was marked and tidied up with the help of a number of volunteers. Posto-tappa operators could be found who eventually formed the association Associazione Percorsi Occitani and gave the trail potential with a lot of initiative.

Route from the CAI Gardetta Refuge on a mountain trail to the Sanctuary of San Magno

A route along historic military roads, admiring bunkers and casemates among the rocky walls and on the most strategic summits.

Scenic and varied route

Easy panoramic route from Sambuco to Pontebernado on the GTA (Rother stage 48). The route runs high above the Valle Stura with views of Pietraporzio and the surrounding mountains. For us, an ideal introductory stage.

Eleventh stage: from Pietraporzio to the Bagni di Vinadio

Stage six: from Sambuco to Pontebernardo