Spectacular and wild panoramas, forgotten and rediscovered places; all the corners of Valle Maira show the signs of a long history and tell of man's respectful treatment of nature. Crossing Valle Maira means taking a journey through time, admiring spectacular views and discovering ancient traditions.
Valle Maira is an enchanting alpine valley waiting to be discovered. It lies northwest of Cuneo in Piedmont, not far from the French border.
The river Maira, which cuts through the valley and gives its name to the valley, is one of the tributaries of the Po. The Maira rises in the Cottian Alps and continues its course until the small village of Dronero, where the valley widens and leaves behind the spectacular mountain landscapes. Valle Maira extends for about 50 km, on an imaginary line running from east to west.
From the upper part of Valle Maira you can reach several side valleys. Renato, your host and experienced mountain guide, can advise you in choosing the most suitable routes for every need. From the left side of Valle Maira there are paths to reach Valle Elva, which is connected to the nearby Valle Varaita via the Sampeyre Pass and Valle Traversiera. Also from the right side you can discover extraordinary routes, like the one to Vallone di Marmora, which continues toward Vallone del Preit and Vallone di Unerzio. Particularly noteworthy is the Colle del Maurin, an Alpine pass that connects Valle Maira with Valle Ubaye in France.
Valle Maira is a jewel in the Alps. This valley fascinates geology enthusiasts because of the incredible variety of rocks in a relatively small area.
Like all Alpine areas, the landscape here is the result of the collision of continental plates, which caused rocks to form while the calcareous marine sediments appeared. Between 250 and 60 million years ago, erosion completed the work and created the Dolomite rocks in the valley. During the Permian geological era, the area between Dronero and Stroppo was excavated by the force of water that flowed with rocks such as crystalline granite.
In the upper part of Valle Maira, around Acceglio, you can admire rock formations rich in mineral groups such as feldspars. In addition to the calcareous soils, you can also find siliceous soils. In this valley you can see everywhere the effects of the last glaciation, which ended ten thousand years ago.
During your holiday in Valle Maira, you can meet the typical animals of this alpine area: marmots, deer, roe deer, chamois and even ibex.
The lord of the sky is the eagle nesting on these mountains. Recently even the bearded vulture has been seen again. There are also numerous wild boar colonies in the area, a great concern for the local farmers.
In recent years, the wolf has also returned to the valley. But the dogs protect herds and stocks.
Valle Maira has two slopes: one sunny in the south and one shady in the north. The south is more densely populated, has fewer forests, but is rich in fields and meadows. While the northern slope is characterized by dense vegetation, it is less sunny and has been less altered by the presence of man.
The landscape is characterised by intensive and uninterrupted agricultural use, which lasted until the 19th century. The fertile soil in the valleys has always been used for agriculture and fruit growing. Vines are also cultivated at the entrance to the valley, albeit to a lesser extent. The terraces used for growing cereals or grazing reach as far as the forest border. These terraces consist of dry stone walls. The stones have been laboriously extracted by cleaning the soil and bear witness to the hard work involved in cultivating the fields.
A typical feature of this valley was the management of the cattle that grazed during the summer. In addition, the fodder from the meadows was dried and stored in the valley as winter stock. This ancient order has been somewhat upset by the migration, the abandonment of fields and mowing meadows and the leasing of the alpine pastures to livestock owners from outside the valley. Although Valle Maira is relatively small, it offers an immense variety of plant formations, from deciduous forests to evergreen shrubs, from mosses to succulents that climb to an altitude of 3,000 metres. They can be seen in crevices and cracks in the rocks, where they survive in extreme conditions of cold, heat and drought.
Valle Maira is a true paradise for flower lovers and is particularly interesting for botanists, since a considerable number of endemic plants can be found here.
An authentic experience in Valle Maira
We offer a unique experience combining traditional elements with the highest standards. The result: an oasis of peace in the middle of the untouched nature of Valle Maira.
