We can translate it to “Open Air and Well-being”: it took a pandemic for us to appreciate how important it is to be able to go out for a walk, a bike ride, a hike, even a simple one, on easy trails through the woods or along the shores of a lake, and how much well-being this generates, in the sense of feeling good, not just physically but, above all, mentally.
Until just before, the concept of outdoor was always interpreted in terms of sporting activities, more or less amateurish. Well, in Canavese, it’s easy to “feel good”: we, who live and work here, feel good, imagine those who have the chance to enjoy it for a holiday, a weekend or a day trip!
There are many itineraries and activities we can suggest, which is why we naturally consider Canavese as a “great natural playground”: no big infrastructures needed, nature has already taken care of that! Let’s start with lovers of walking activities: walks, easy hikes, challenging treks that cross always different landscapes. Without fear of exaggeration, these are things you can do anywhere in Canavese, but here we suggest some organized and more famous itineraries.
SENTIERI DEI VIGNETI – 10 different day itineraries through the vineyards of Erbaluce and the DOCs of Canavese: from Carema to Settimo Vittone, from Piverone to Caluso, from Candia to Rivara, offering the chance for beautiful walks suitable for all (from 2 hours to 2 days), where you can discover art treasures and make stops at wineries. These routes are also suitable for families and some can be done on bike or MTB.
VIA FRANCIGENA – An itinerary for everyone in 2 stages, totaling 37 km, 10 hours of travel, and an uphill elevation gain of 900 m. (nothing prevents breaking it into more stages). The route winds from Carema to Piverone, through terraced vineyards and lakes, passing through Ivrea.
The Via Francigena, a European religious route, here follows the tracks of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sigeric, who traveled it in 990 AD.
SENTIERO DELLE PIETRE BIANCHE – An itinerary suitable for everyone, comfortably accessible by MTB or on horseback, consisting of 3 connected loops for a total of 50 km. Almost entirely in hilly areas, among chestnut woods and vineyards, it has flat sections near the Natural Park of Lake Candia and is interconnected with other tracks of naturalistic and historical value.
GIROPARCO GRAN PARADISO – A challenging trek of 8 stages for 96 km and 36 hours of travel, with an uphill elevation gain of 6.920 m. The route, which largely retraces the an- cient Royal Hunting trails of the Savoy, starts from Nivolet in Ceresole Reale and reaches the Larissa Pass in Champorcher before continuing into the Aosta Valley.
ALTA VIA DELL’ANFITEATRO MORENICO – Ideally follows
the imprint of the glacier that shaped this territory, from An- drate to Brosso; 108 km with a total uphill elevation gain of 820 m, allowing to encounter lakes nestled in greenery, from Lake Viverone to the 5 Lakes of Ivrea, to Lake Candia, castles like that of Masino, vineyards, and villages.
ITINERARI NELLA VALLE DEL MALONE – A recently restored hiking network offering over 100 km of trails to be explored on foot, by MTB, or on horseback, with paths crossing beech and chestnut woods dotted with ancient stone hamlets, rows of vineyards, rugged and rocky terrains, but also gentle slopes.
So far, we have intrigued you with trails for walking, mountain biking, or horseback riding, but the “playground” of Canavese also offers many other activities, both at an amateur and competitive level.
The calm waters of Lago di Candia are perfect for canoeing and rowing, while on the artificial lake of Ceresole Reale, windsurfing is popular, being the highest location in Italy for this sport.
Water activities like canyoning and soft-rafting are practiced on the rivers, and uniquely in the world, right in the city center of Ivrea, canoe slalom has become a daily activity in the Canoe Stadium, which since 2017 hosts World Cup competitions and international championships.
For those who love to have their heads in the clouds, we recommend free flight in hang gliding or paragliding, with take-off points from Santa Elisabetta, Rocca Canavese, Monte Cavallaria, and Andrate, or for an extra thrill, the “rainbow fiight”, a zip-line in Frassinetto that allows you to fly 1800 meters in 70 seconds at 400 meters above the ground over a breathtaking panorama.
Think that’s enough? What about the legendary bicycle clim- bs like that of Nivolet? And the climbing cliffs of Montestrutto, the Orco Valley, and Valchiusella?
And the 9-hole golf courses in Favria and Torre Canavese?
And the snowshoeing and Nordic skiing on the snows of the Gran Paradiso Park?
But after all this physical activity, these bike rides, these walks, these climbs, know that in Canavese you can also engage in “wild-swimming”, simply bathing “wildly” in mountain pools, lakes, and streams: moments of pure relaxation in captivating places like Lago Sirio, the waterfall of Fondo, and the Guje di Garavot pools.
Just imagining all this, don’t you already feel better? Think about doing it!
