Castelmagno: Trails, Narbona and Cheese Culture

Castelmagno reveals itself through trails, places of remembrance and regional specialties. If you choose the village as your destination, the specific excursion destinations lead to Campomolino and Narbona, to the Santuario di San Magno and along historic routes through the mountain landscape. What makes the area special is not only the individual stops, but also the stories associated with these trails and the surviving evidence of the past.

Trails between Campomolino and Narbona

The Viol de L'Arvinca is a panoramic trail with 50 hairpin bends. The walk from Campomolino to Narbona is estimated to take 1.5 hours one way; the return journey is not included. This means that this section can be considered an independent part of your day plan, while the number of hairpin bends characterizes the trail without specifying a particular walking speed.

About 15 minutes on foot after the beginning of the Campomolino–Narbona route is the Lou Bel Veire d'la Cuanha viewpoint. Piloun d'la Reina, also known as Pilone di Narbona, stands on a rocky outcrop above the hamlet below. At the Bial de l'Arbouna, also called the rio Narbona, there are natural pools on the return journey to Campomolino. Flowing water has carved these hollows into the rock over thousands of years.

San Magno and Historic Routes

The Cammino di San Magno leads from Campomolino to the Santuario di San Magno and runs along a traversing hillside path beside the Torrente Grana below. The path has been fully restored and signposted. In addition, the Colletto–Narbona route is classified as a historical-cultural trail and can be walked all year round; caution is advised when there are large accumulations of snow.

Remembrance in Campomolino and Narbona

Una Casa per Narbona is a museum in Campomolino. The museum reconstructs original interiors from houses in the abandoned hamlet of Narbona and conveys the memory of the difficult life in the mountains as well as the depopulation of Alpine villages. In Narbona, the chapel dedicated to the Madonna della Neve is the only building still standing. Together, these places give the historical theme a concrete form: Campomolino preserves interiors, while in Narbona the chapel stands out as a surviving building.

For centuries, the Sentiero dei Morti was used by the inhabitants of Narbona to take their dead to the cemetery in Campomolino.

Castelmagno on the Plate

Castelmagno is also present in the culinary sphere: the “Bottega occitana” has specialized in the aging and distribution of Castelmagno cheese for more than three generations.

Walking Time for Day Planning

The specific information about the trails can be used directly when planning a day in Castelmagno. For the walk from Campomolino to Narbona, the walking time of 1.5 hours applies only to the outward journey; the return journey is not included. Anyone completing the entire route should therefore plan the return as a separate amount of time.

Other Places

Spinetta, Clavesana, Cissone, Cavaliggi, Castellino Tanaro, Polonghera, Dogliani, Breolungi

To the higher-level travel overview: Cuneo.