Marguareis Park: Mountain biking among chamois and roe deer

The Marguareis Natural Park , with its 8.044 hectares of alpine landscape stretching between the upper Pesio and Tanaro Valleys in Piedmont, is a paradise of sustainability: it is home to a quarter of Italy's flora, with over 1.500 recorded species, both alpine and Mediterranean. Its territory is also home to as many as 4 roe deer and chamois. The ideal way to explore the Marguareis Park and admire its beauty is by mountain bike. The area offers several stops, but one is certainly unmissable: the Carthusian Ecomuseum, which traces the history of the monks' settlements in the Alpine region and their extraordinary care for the environment.

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A sustainable adventure in the Marguareis Natural Park begins with choosing your means of transport. Leave the car at home and opt for the train , which will also reduce your carbon footprint . To reach the Valli Pesio area, take the Cuneo-Ventimiglia train line and get off at the Limone stop. From there, you can hike or mountain bike to Pian delle Gorre, in the heart of the Marguareis Park and the starting point of your itinerary.

The Marguareis massif

Margueris massif — Photo Credit: Marzio Pipino via Facebook

The entire Marguareis massif, which forms the heart of the Natural Park, represents one of the most striking examples of high-altitude karst in Italy and Europe. Both the glacial landforms (derived from the shaping action of ancient glaciers) and the karst landforms (derived from the shaping action of water on limestone rocks) are set in a very special context: the lack of vegetation makes these mountains an open-air geology textbook, where you can admire the patient "game" played out over millions of years by rock, water, and time.

The Marguareis Caves

Margueris Caves — Photo credit: Marco Sterna via Facebook

The late 19th century marked the tentative beginning of speleological exploration on the Marguareis Massif. Geologists Viglino and Sacco compiled the first scientific notes on the local karst, but those who began to poke around underground were pure enthusiasts like Fritz Mader, the lawyer Strolengo, and the doctor from Garessio Randone—well-off and with time on their hands. In 1905, Strolengo was the main promoter of the exploration of the Pis del Pesio: after unsuccessful attempts to lower the rock from above, a giant antenna was erected, constructed from fir trunks to allow access from below.

The need for extended stays at high altitude led to the construction of several speleological shelters in the 70s, which still serve the essential function of operational bases for exploration, such as the Saracco Volante scientific hut in the Piaggiabella basin and the Morgantini hut at Colla Piana di Malaberga. In summer, the atmosphere here is that of a true international base camp: arrivals and departures are possible at any hour of the day or night, and life is dictated by the progress of the "punte" (explorations) in the cave.

Charterhouse of Pesio

Founded in 1173, for centuries it housed a fervent small community of solitary men, animated by faith and work. The fathers meditated and prayed in its silent cells and in the secluded shade of the cloister, while the brothers took care of material matters, efficiently managing the barns. boschi and lands starting from the nearby Correria – defending the Carthusian fathers from the noise of the world.
Today it is a place of missionary spirituality, which can be visited upon request.

Émile Burnat Center for Plant Biodiversity (CBV)

Its objectives are the conservation of Piedmont's botanical richness, the scientific census and monitoring of plant species, and the deepening and updating of floristic knowledge across the entire Ligurian and Maritime Alps. At the forefront of protecting one of Europe's plant biodiversity hotspots, it engages in dialogue and collaboration with all the institutions and organizations engaged in this battle at the national and international levels. Its technical and scientific resources include a botanical library, a herbarium, and a floristic-vegetation database with approximately 70.000 entries.

An integral part of the CBV is the "Oreste Mattirolo" plant food garden , located on the roof of the "Sala Incontri" (Meeting Room) of the Marguareis Natural Park (Chiusa di Pesio). This special "vegetable garden" is divided into themed flowerbeds and hosts over 80 wild plant species of nutritional value.

Information

For all information about the Marguareis Park, you can write to: [email protected]

Or visit the website: https://www.parcomarguareis.it/

To visit the Certosa di Pesio, follow the directions on the website: certosadipesio.org.

How to get to the Park

The three options for getting to Marguareis Park are by car, train, and bus.

By car:

From the Po Valley

The most direct access to the Park is the Turin-Savona motorway (A6).
'Supper Tanaro Valley exit at the Ceva toll booth and continue taking the SS 28 del Colle di Nava on the right and then at Ponte di Nava continue on the SP 154 in the direction of Viozene, Carnino and Upega.

To reach the Pesio Valley, exit at the Mondovì toll booth and continue towards Cuneo, then turn off at Pianfei and reach Chiusa Pesio, at the entrance to the valley of the same name, which you follow up to the Certosa di Santa Maria (free parking) and the Pian delle Gorre clearing (paid parking during the summer season).

By train