Balme: Mountain Trails, Pian della Mussa and Alpine History

Balme is a mountain village where broad high plateaus, paths through hamlets and a history closely connected with mountaineering come together. The Pian della Mussa, the Cascata La Gorgia and several hiking trails give the surrounding area its landscape character. At the same time, the Ecomuseo delle Guide Alpine di Balme and historic buildings preserve memories of life and work in the village.

Landscape between Pian della Mussa and the Cascata La Gorgia

The Pian della Mussa is an extensive grassland crossed by the Stura. It stretches for several kilometres at an altitude of more than 1,700 metres, creating a distinctly open landscape above Balme. From Balme, you can reach the Pian della Mussa by road or along a mule track beside the Stura.

The landscape of the Pian della Mussa was once covered by a glacier. This initially created a lake, which was eventually filled with alluvial material. In spring, you can observe herds of ibex on the lower slopes. The Sentiero degli stambecchi is also dedicated to these animals: the walking trail leads to places where ibex descend to lower elevations to graze on the first fresh grass.

In the centre of Balme, the Cascata La Gorgia plunges several dozen metres into the depths. Nearby are an old mill and several former buildings that were used to cool milk. Here, water, agricultural use and the architectural traces of past working practices meet.

Hiking trails and seasonal activities

The Sentiero dell’Amicizia runs around the inhabited centre of Balme. It passes through several hamlets and by a small alpine pasture. You can use it for hiking or mountain biking. Except when there is snow in winter, the trail requires neither special fitness nor special equipment; in snowy conditions, snowshoes are required.

The Grande Traversata delle Alpi, or GTA for short, passes through Balme. Another connection to the Pian della Mussa is the Pista Adolfo Kind. It leads from Balme to the Pian della Mussa, climbs 350 metres in altitude and takes approximately one hour. These differing details make the trails easy to compare if you would like to divide your days between the vicinity of the village and the high-mountain landscape.

The Sentiero delle Peonie is the only access route to the Vallone del Servin. This valley occupies half of the municipal territory of Balme and is overlooked by a range of peaks over 3,000 metres high. The trail follows a medieval path created by miners. It is connected with the historic iron-ore mining industry, as well as livestock farming and the cheese trade in Balme.

In winter, Balme offers more than 20 kilometres of cross-country ski trails of varying difficulty. In the Ginevrè area, there are also climbing routes of different grades, as well as a large area for climbing courses and beginners. The tourist fishing area Zona Turistica di Pesca Rio Paschiet NO-KILL is located on the Rio Paschiet.

Alpine history, sacred spaces and local heritage

The Ecomuseo delle Guide Alpine di Balme is housed in the former town hall. It documents the origins and development of the mountain village of Balme, as well as its role in mountaineering in Turin. On display are historic photographs, mountaineering equipment, memorabilia, posters and documents relating to prominent figures in local mountaineering.

The Ecomuseo also includes sections on flora, fauna, minerals and the local Franco-Provençal culture. Its scope therefore extends beyond the tradition of mountain guides to include Balme’s natural environment and linguistic and cultural characteristics.

The Cappella della Sindone preserves traces of frescoes depicting Christ and several saints. The Casa, traditionally considered the oldest house in Balme, was built before the 15th century and once housed the ancient Cappella della Sindone of Balme.

Balme as a starting point for planning your trip

When choosing a hotel or other accommodation in Balme, you can focus your trip according to the themes available: landscapes and wildlife observation at the Pian della Mussa, walking and hiking trails around the village, winter sports on the cross-country ski trails, or culture at the Ecomuseo and the Cappella della Sindone. Climbing and fishing are also activities explicitly associated with Balme. This allows you to adapt your stay to your preferred pace of travel without mixing up the different sides of the mountain village.

Discover more destinations

If you would like to extend your travel planning beyond Balme, here are more destinations: Strambinello, Caselle Torinese, Moncalieri, Palazzo Canavese, Stazione, San Gillio, Ceres and Beinasco.

To the higher-level travel overview: Turin.