Experiences in Valle Maira
Wherever you stay, the valley starts at the door.
Hiking, Occitan culture, Slow Food cooking and wild country: here is what you will find.
Trails, the Percorsi Occitani and the Grande Traversata delle Alpi
Valle Maira is walking country. The Percorsi Occitani — a multi-day circuit linking hamlets, passes and overnight stops — and the Grande Traversata delle Alpi (GTA) run the length of it, past mountain huts, high pastures and long views over the peaks.
The head of the valley, towards Chiappera and the Rocca Provenzale, offers rock scenery worthy of the Dolomites and routes you do not forget.
In winter the same paths turn into ground for snowshoeing and ski touring, far from the crowds of the big resorts.
Always check the weather in the valley before you set off.
Hamlets, sundials and Occitan culture
The valley's 194 stone hamlets hold centuries of mountain life: walls painted with sundials, communal bread ovens, chapels and mills.
This is the heart of Occitan country, where festivals, music and dance keep the lenga d'òc alive.
Don't miss Elva, for the Renaissance frescoes in the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta and the story of the cavié, the hair traders; the sundials of Stroppo and Marmora; and the restored hamlets scattered the length of Valle Maira.
Mountain food with Slow Food roots
Valle Maira cooks with what it has: ravioles (potato and toma dumplings), mountain cheeses, toma, cured meats and the salt anchovies the valley's travelling traders were once known for. Much of it carries the Slow Food Presidia mark and comes from producers a few miles away.
The easiest way to taste it is the osteria la tàula de m'aura at the albergo diffuso La Caso d'Elva , where Piedmontese home cooking starts from exactly those ingredients.
For dinner with a bit more ambition there is Ristorante Al Bial in Macra, where Piedmontese cooking meets a creative hand: see all of where to eat in Valle Maira
Silence, space and dark night skies
With no ski lifts and no day-trip crowds, Valle Maira has kept its wild edge: chestnut and larch woods, streams, mountain lakes and side valleys where chamois, marmots, eagles and wolves live. Few places in the Alps are this quiet.
After dark, with almost no light pollution, the night skies are extraordinary: walk a few minutes out of any hamlet and the Milky Way is overhead.
Make Valle Maira your own
Pick where to stay and make it your base for the trails, the hamlets and the food of the valley.
Things to do in Valle Maira: FAQ
What is there to do in Valle Maira?
Hiking the Percorsi Occitani and the Grande Traversata delle Alpi, visiting the Occitan hamlets and the frescoes at Elva, Slow Food cuisine and wild nature; in winter, snowshoeing and ski touring.
What are the Percorsi Occitani?
The Percorsi Occitani are a multi-stage hiking loop that crosses Valle Maira through hamlets, passes and stage stops, letting you walk the whole valley from end to end. Full guide to hiking in Valle Maira
What is the Grande Traversata delle Alpi (GTA)?
The GTA is a long-distance hiking route that crosses the Piedmontese Alps valley by valley, using stage stops; in Valle Maira it links hamlets and refuges along the whole valley.
What is there to see in Elva?
In Elva you can see the Renaissance frescoes in the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta, attributed to Hans Clemer, and discover the story of the cavié, the valley's historic hair collectors. What to see in Valle Maira
Who were the cavié?
The cavié were the hair collectors of Valle Maira, especially Elva, who in the 19th and early 20th centuries left the valley to gather and trade human hair across Italy and Europe.