Bardonecchia

In the municipality, there are also a number of sites of historical and cultural interest:

• Bramafam Fort, erected in the late 19th century on the site of an old castle to defend the railway line and the Frejus railroad tunnel. Later, it was also used during World War II. It has fascinating underground walkways and a museum full of artillery pieces, wagons and original uniforms has been set up there. From the village of Bardonecchia, through a coniferous forest, you can reach Fort Bramafam with a beautiful hike, which includes the Colletto della Forca, a fascinating vantage point, and the historic Giolitti Fountain, and then return to the starting point.
• the Jafferau Battery, which, at 2,800 meters above sea level, is the highest fort in Italy; it was built in 1900, but was also used to strike French positions in the summer of 1940. It can be reached on foot or by mountain bike (or even off-road) with the challenging climb along a dirt military road, which provides scenic views of the surrounding valleys.
• the Föens Battery, which, built between 1897 and 1899 along former military road 79, housed mortars, cannons, and a reserve, and was protected by a wall with loopholes. Today the structures are partially preserved, with soldiers' inscriptions visible at the entrance.

Mountain hiking enthusiasts, you need look no further!

In Bardonecchia and the four valleys that surround it - Valle Stretta, Valle della Rho, Valle del Frejus, and Vallone di Rochemolles - there are indeed plenty of hiking trails for all levels of difficulty. Military roads, scenic trails, dense fir and larch forests, and cozy mountain huts await you here.

Among the available routes, for example, we find the historic, all-flat route that runs along the historic Decauville Railway, which was used a century ago to build the Rochemolles Dam, which created the reservoir that lies near Pierre Menue. Incidentally, the dam is a stop on another route, which enters the Rochemolles Valley among waterfalls and small lakes to arrive at the Scarfiotti Refuge. Instead, a loop route leads from just outside Bardonecchia to the hamlets of Granges La Rho and Les Granges del Frejus. More experienced hikers can climb to Punta Sommelier or Punta Quattro Sorelle to enjoy crazy views from the summit!

Whether you are a novice cyclist or an expert, Bardonecchia is an excellent base for setting off on your mountain bike or ebike. For example, you can reach Punta Melmise, along a loop route that climbs along a dirt military road and also touches on the Croce Chabriere viewpoint, then descends through the woods. Or you can set off for Poggio Tre Croci and Piano della Batteria, along another nineteenth-century military road that offers splendid views of Bardonecchia and the surrounding mountains. Or, again, you can ride the Sommeiller Pass, the highest carriage road in Europe, through the Rochemolles Valley to Punta Sommeiller and the border between Italy and France.

Available to cyclists, of course, are numerous rental services and bicycle tour guides.

Racing cyclists, on the other hand, can try their hand at many routes that have seen the world's greatest champions compete as part of the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia races, for example, the climb to the Jafferau, which was the finishing point of a stage of the Giro d'Italia in 2018, or to the Colle delle Finestre.

If, on the other hand, you use a gravel bike and stage routes, there is a route made just for you! This is an expert bike ride along the entire Susa Valley, the fourth and final stage of which leads from Bardonecchia to the starting point in Avigliana.

Other winter activities possible in Bardonecchia include ski touring, fat bike rides, horseback riding in the snow, ice skating and snow tubing, as well as snowshoeing. There are 12 different marked trails, easily accessible from the main ski lifts in Colomion, Melezet, and Jafferau, in the Conca di Bardonecchia, and in the nearby Valle Stretta.