One of the greatest attractions of the Province of Cuneo is that you can live in close contact with nature. Known as the “Granda” because of its nearly 7000-km2 area, its vast array of landscapes includes virtually unspoiled mountains, the hills of the Langhe and Roero and the flatlands studded with townes and which are by and large widely spread out. Located in south-western Piedmont, the shape of the province is somewhat like an ellipse. It is a sort of amphitheatre with the plain at its centre, which widens out in the direction of Turin to the north and is surrounded by the Alps and the hills of the Langhe along its sides.

There are many things to account for the astonishing variety of flora and fauna in the province, but also for the scenery, which is mostly hills and mountains and the unique shape of Monviso that towers above it all. The climate has also played an important part, and even though it is heavily influenced by the nearby Ligurian gulf, a few glaciers still exist to this day. Mountains occupy more than half of the territory. They are certainly one of the main resourcers for tourism in the Cuneese with about 450 km of ski slopes and a dense network of paths for hiking and cycling. Then there is the enormous variety of plants and animals that are protected in the parks and caves, some of which are open to the public. The Cuneese Alps are also home to a variety of animals. Along with ibex, chamois, roe deer and marmots, there are birds like the golden eagle and the alpine chough, as well as the wolf.

The hills of the Langhe and Roero, the latter cut into by the so-called rocche (ridges), face the banks of the Tanaro River and join the Po plain to the Alps, the Piedmont-Ligurian Apennines and to the sea just a little ways beyond. Wild boar, roe deer, badgers and foxes populate the hilly woods, chiefly composed of beech and oak. But the most striking part of the landscape are the vineyards as far as the eye can see, yet another important economic and tourist resource in the province.

The Po river originates in the Province of Cuneo and there are numerouse other waters that flow down the valleys and into the great river. As the springs flow downstram they frequently cause the kind of erosion that created the Ciciu del Villar in Maira Valley, the protected oasis that is part of Upper Pesio Valley Park. During their lonjg history these waters have shifted their channels, which created the terracing, now cultivated. That you can see almost everywhere. And the change in the course of the Tanaro River, known as the “arrest of the Tanaro”, gave rise to the ridges we have already mentioned, which cut into the Roero.

In the winter the mountains welcome fans of winter sports. The local facilities offer efficient hospitality and kilometres of slopes and modern ski lifts. There is snow, sun, fun and relaxation for fans of downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding and off-track skiing, but also for ice-skating and excursions on snowshoes. Each valley has its own unique features and the different worlds are only a mountain ridge apart. The area truly does have a lot to offer: Riserva Bianca (Limone Piemonte); the Mondolè Ski facilities; emotion-packed skiing at high altitudes (on the slopes of the Po and Varaita Valleys in front of Monviso); kilometres of cross-country ski trails. When speaking of outdoor sports in the Province of Cuneo, the first to come to mind are mountain sports, especially hiking. There is such a dense netword of trails in even the most secluded valleys of the Maritime and southern Cozie Alps that the most inveterate hiker might never cover them all in a lifetime.

We would like to make one last mention of the climate. Although the weather has changed a great deal in recent years, the spring and the autumn are generally rainy, alternating with winters that have an abundance of snowfall, and summers that are sunny. In autumn and winter you may find yourself immersed in fog, and as bothersome as this might be, the fog has a fascination all its own and creates a particular atmosphere that invites you to sit down in a restaurant to taste the classic dishes of the local cuisine.

worked on the project: Sahara Ristorto & Emanuela Isoardi