Ormea is a small town in southern Piedmont, in the Upper Tanaro Valley, nestled between the major peaks of the Ligurian Alps, from which you can see the sea of Imperia and Albenga. Mount Antoroto, the Armetta and the Pizzo d'Ormea, with its characteristic cone shape, overlook the town, while from the hamlet of Viozene, located further west, you can reach Mount Mongioie and the Marguareis.

The city is surrounded by an unspoiled natural environment where numerous trails offer the perfect settings for walking, mountain biking and horseback riding. The itinerary of the Balconata di Ormea, about forty kilometres long, is a route suitable for all hikers, without challenging gradients and it can be divided into stages and rings.

The ancient name of the city of Ormea was Ulmeta due to the presence of numerous elm woods there. Formerly inhabited by the ancient Romans, in the 10th century it was invaded by the Saracens who built the Torre and the Balma there, the largest fortified cave in the Western Alps. In the 17th century, it passed to the Duke of Savoy. In 1804, a Napoleonic decree was issued, assigning to Ormea the status of City. At the end of the 19th century, with the arrival of the railway, the Grand Hotel and the Municipal Casino were built, in a move designed to attract noble and upper-class tourists from all over Europe.

Ormea, surmounted by the ruins of the Castle, boasts a historic centre with corners and lanes known as "Trevi", which bring back evocative medieval atmospheres. Here, you can admire the fourteenth-century Casa dei Signori, in Via Tanaro, embellished with Celtic tiles, the Chiesa della Madonna degli Angeli, and the adjacent Museo Etnografico. Near the Romanesque Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Martino, with frescoes from the 14th century, you can see the ancient gateway to the city inside the bell tower. The Municipality includes 13 hamlets with 30 small splendid churches and 300 votive pillars, mostly located in the woods, and about forty works of art carved in black Ormea marble.

Ormeasca cuisine is well worth a gourmet pit stop: from lasagna made with wholemeal flour seasoned with mushrooms and cream, to "tultei", the typical vegetable-filled pasta, Saracen polenta, bread cooked on the stove (le fozze), all washed down with a good glass of Ormeasco wine.