A well connected place, but away from glamor and shop windows. To experience the mountains in an authentic way!
I had never been in the area of Cottian Alps, in Piedmont: destination not just around the corner nor well known for a Tuscan like me, but I pleasantly discovered an area of villages, ski slopes, cross-country trails and walks of great beauty.
I'm sure if you followed the Winter Olympics of 2006, the name Pragelato tells you something: we are on the side of Sestrière in the Milky Way district, the mountain one hundred km from Turin.
The echo of the Turin 2006 Olympics
The 2006 Olympics left several marks around here, both in terms of infrastructure and popularity. There are the Olympic villages converted into a tourist village, there are the ski lifts and specifically in Pragelato the amazing ones cross-country trails. In fact this locality is a group of small inhabited centers that are located in the valley and which together constitute the Municipality of Pragelato. The numerous cross-country trails attract many fans and are well-kept.
Pragelato
Due to its position in the valley floor, due to the fact that it is an agglomeration of small towns, Pragelato does not have the glamor, the shop windows, the clubs of Sestrière; fortunately not even the confusion that derives from the fact that it was essentially born around a great communication route (Sestrière is an Alpine pass).
Pragelato is however connected to the ski slopes of the Milky Way, thanks to a cable car that goes up to the area that extends along theUpper Val di Susa and Chisone, an endless set of downhill slopes that lead to Sauce the Oulx, Sansicario, Cesana, Clavière: we are already on the border with France.
Not just downhill skis
But the beauty of Pragelato lies in the other activities that can be done in the snow, in natural landscapes of great beauty and absolute tranquility, away from car traffic and “ski” traffic, music and noise. Last but not least, also given the name of this portal, the fact that many activities in the mountains are low cost, without ski passes or other expenses.
If you love to walk - with or without snowshoes - a beautiful route is that of the Val Troncea, Natural Park. You walk along the Ghisone stream, alongside the cross-country track which is located on the two different banks. The walk, mostly on the plain, passes at the foot of ancient villages, runs along the ruins of the Foundry, where until the beginning of the twentieth century the metals were worked, meets mountain pastures and, if desired, leads to the Troncea Refuge.
The hamlets
A nice walking itinerary is the tour of the villages, which extends for more than 20 km and can be done over several days, but obviously can be broken into sections.
For example, I was staying in Allevé, ancient nucleus of houses halfway up the mountain, facing south and totally sunny. Allevé is a 20 minute walk from Plan, one of the hamlets of Pragelato, and from there you can reach Villardamort, Rif or Granges.
The villages are characterized by typical stone buildings, fountains and wash houses, as well as common ovens which testify to the rural tradition of these areas before tourism arrived. If the snow is scarce, you can walk these trails independently, as they are quite well marked, but in case of a lot of snow it is preferable to rely on an expert guide in the area!
