Claviere: Ski Slopes, Mountain Hikes and Culture

If you’re looking for a hotel in Claviere, the planned focus is a good starting point: the town combines winter sports with mountain hikes, nature trails and cultural themes. Conditions for skiing and ski touring vary by season; check them before your trip. This makes it easier to compare the different activities based on your travel dates and interests.

Winter Sports: Ski Slopes, Cross-Country Skiing and Ski Touring

Claviere’s ski lifts and slopes are connected to the more than 300 kilometres of pistes in the Via Lattea ski area. One option for experienced skiers and snowboarders crosses the border: from Claviere, they can reach the French slopes of Montgenèvre and return to Italy via the challenging, scenic Colletto Verde piste. Conditions for slope operations vary by season.

Claviere has three cross-country ski trails totalling ten kilometres, near the Italian-French border in the direction of Montgenèvre. Ski tours vary in length and elevation gain. The ascent of Monte Chaberton is one of the classic ski tours starting from Claviere. Alongside the connected ski area, cross-country skiing and tours of varying lengths are also distinct winter activities to consider.

Bridges and Trails at Monte Chaberton

The route through the Gorge di San Gervasio consists of a series of three rope bridges. The third bridge on this route can alternatively be reached via a via ferrata. Check access before your visit; technical requirements may vary. The Ponte tibetano di Cesana Claviere suspension bridge is 544 metres long and runs about 30 metres above the ground.

Another kind of outing takes you up Monte Chaberton: the classic hike ends at the ruins of an Italian fortification. While the rope bridges define the Gorge route, this hike’s destination is linked to the history of the fortification. Alpine access conditions may change.

Nature Around Claviere

Nature trails from Claviere run along the Rio Secco, the Piccola Dora and the Rio Gimont; they can be explored on foot or by bike. Claviere’s forest consists mainly of pine and larch trees. Wildlife includes marmots, roe deer, chamois, squirrels, deer, foxes, hares and eagles. Sightings are not guaranteed.

Culture and History

The La Gigliaffa house museum in Claviere features theatre posters, paintings, repertoire photographs, a library, costumes and stage objects. During a performance, Emanuele Giglio presents selections from his repertoire, improvises and recites; Monica Griffa accompanies him with singing. If you’re interested in this performance, check the dates before your visit.

The exhibition about Monte Chaberton tells the mountain’s story through its geology and the people who lived there. It offers a different perspective from the hike to the fortification ruins, focusing instead on geology and human history. The Chapel of San Gervasio also has its own historical timeline: Pope Pius VI stayed there in 1799; the chapel was destroyed in 1940 and rebuilt in 1975.

Claviere’s traditional dress included full skirts, colourful silk scarves, lace-trimmed bonnets and a necklace with a cross or a heart. These details add a specific glimpse of local clothing traditions to the town’s history.

Golf and Getting There

Claviere Golf Club has a nine-hole course. During certain periods, an agreement with the neighbouring Montgenèvre course extends the offer to 18 holes. If golf is important to your trip, check in advance when this agreement applies.

A bus service connects Claviere with Oulx railway station on the international Turin–Paris railway line. Timetables may change, so check them before travelling. From Turin, take the A32 Turin–Bardonecchia–Fréjus motorway towards Fréjus. At the Sestriere–Sauze d’Oulx–Monginevro exit, continue on the SS 24 del Monginevro towards Claviere.

Discover more destinations: Trofarello, Rollieres, Sant'antonino Di Susa, Venaria Reale, Scarmagno, Poirino, Brosso, Cinzano.

See the main travel guide: Turin.