Very well known for winter sports, this valley is rich in greenery and offers countless possibilities even in the sunniest season. We therefore know Vernante, a very well-equipped centre, which preserves artistic attractions such as the ruins of the medieval castle and the ruins of a Romanesque-Gothic bell tower. And for souvenirs, nothing more original than a knife, called «vernantino», built entirely by hand. For some time, Vernante has also been famous for his murals in honour of the illustrator Attilio Mussino, which depict the events of Pinocchio told by Collodi.
Vernante Murales di Pinocchio
Just above the town, you will find Palanfrè, an interesting and ancient village from which you enter a truly enchanting area. The peculiarity of the reserve, which since 1979 on the proposal of the municipality of Vernante also includes the Vallone and the Laghi degli Alberghi, the last high mountain pastures, remains the evocative beech forest located on the slopes of the Costa del Colombo. Even if the reserve occupies a fairly limited territory, it is possible to find very different environments: large pastures, karst basins, glacial cirques that host very clear alpine lakes.
We continue the tour to Limone, a famous winter ski resort which, however, in its historic centre has a fourteenth-century parish church dedicated to San Pietro in Vincoli, with an internal pulpit from the Certosa di Pesio. On the slopes of Limone there are also over 100 kilometres of slopes; dozens are sports facilities, and for everyone the opportunity to have fun in contact with nature.
Col de Tende
The starting point is Vernante and the arrival point is the Colle di Tenda, formerly known as Colle di Cornio. It is the border point between the Maritime Alps and the Ligurian ones. Here you can admire the extraordinary value of the high altitude karst that develops on the plateau of the Marguareis Massif: formation sequences such as roadways and karst landform, mixed with sinkholes and entrances of a system that can even count hundreds of cavities with development over 20 metres. Do not miss the Vallone Cupega from which you cross the Navette forest, a real gem protected by the State Forestry Corps.
Marguareis waterfalls Marguareis Botanic station
