Viù: Hiking Trails, Culture and Landscape

Viù lies in a basin crossed by the Stura di Viù. The Valle di Viù is in the Province of Turin and includes the municipalities of Viù, Lemie and Usseglio. When planning your trip, you can choose according to your interests: circular trails and stages sit alongside sacred art, remembrance and nature-related themes. The following places and routes offer a range of specific starting points.

Hiking and trails

The Le Borgate di Viù circular trail starts at the Parrocchiale di San Martino. Just beyond the town, a short, old paved path leads to the park at Villa Franchetti. You can also reach the park on foot via a staircase that starts on Via Luigia, near Piazza XXIV Maggio. To round off the route, enjoy an aperitif and sample michetta viucese, a typical local product. The description of this circular trail thus combines a walk through town with a local specialty.

The fifth stage of the Sentieri Resistenti leads from the lower Val di Viù to the watershed between the lower Val di Viù and the lower Val di Susa. After about five hours, it reaches Colle del Lys and the refuge there. The circular hike to Uja di Calacante from Fubina offers a different way to plan: it is 12.5 kilometres long and reaches a summit at 1,615 metres. The details differ: an approximate duration is given for the stage, while the circular hike is described by distance and summit elevation. This gives you a starting point for narrowing down your options, depending on whether you want to begin with a time estimate or with distance and elevation.

Culture and local history

In 2017, the second location of the Museo Diffuso di Arte Sacra opened in Viù; it is dedicated to history. The museum displays a 17th-century depiction of the Ostensione della Sindone from the chapel in the hamlet of Venera. One room is devoted to historical liturgical objects. The museum’s exhibits thus bring together a specific work connected with Venera and a dedicated space on liturgical history.

The Parrocchiale di San Martino is considered the largest church in the Valli di Lanzo. The Pietra delle Madri, considered a Celtic stone dating from the 3rd century BC, stands in Piazza del Mercato. Villa Franchetti is also part of the town’s architectural history: it is one of the villas in Viù built or remodelled around the middle of the 19th century. The town offers a range of historical points of interest, from a church and a named stone to a villa.

Nature and remembrance

An old network of paths and mule tracks runs through the protected area of Parco Naturale del Colle del Lys. Eight Sentieri di Memoria, marked with memorial plaques and information boards, can also be found at Colle del Lys. Ciarm del Prete reaches 2,390 metres and, from the hamlet of Tornetti, overlooks an impressive natural amphitheatre.

The Ecomuseo della Resistenza “Carlo Mastri” presents the geological feature of Parco Naturale del Colle del Lys known as “Fiumi di roccia,” as well as the endemic plant Euphorbia gibelliana. The first-floor room hosts temporary exhibitions and archival, audio, video and bibliographic materials. The exhibition space also usually houses a photographic exhibition about the partisans of the 17th Garibaldi Brigade. Nature and remembrance come together here in various forms: as a geological feature, a plant, exhibition materials and photographic commemoration.

Other activities and events

The Vallone di Lunella and Vallone dei Tornetti have routes for horseback riding that have been tried repeatedly. It is possible to cross the ridge into Val d’Ala; route conditions may vary. Fishing in Viù’s various streams is permitted as a recreational activity only with the required permits. Check the current regulations before taking part.

The Gran Premio Newton in Bob-Kart has been held in Viù for almost fifty years. If you would like to plan your trip around this event, check the event dates for your travel period.

Discover more destinations: Torrazza Piemonte, Corio, Ala Di Stura, San Didero, Montanaro, Maddalena, Vinovo, Ivrea

For the broader travel overview: Turin.