Ever since 1839, when University of Edinburgh professor of natural philosophy James David Forbes first completed the tour of the charming shape of the Stone King, the Giro del Monviso has always been one of the most interesting and popular excursion rings in the Western Alps. People love its uncontaminated landscapes of rocks, pastures and blue sky, with quaint, welcoming refuges and green forests filled with unique fragrances. 

The tour consists of four days spent high in the mountains a few steps away from fresh, transparent Alpine lakes and walking along historical trails, like the Buco di Viso, the first tunnel in the Alps, dated 1480. Visitors can discover many historic peculiarities when they explore the area around Monviso. One of these is the old Ricovero dell’Alpetto, the first refuge built by the Club Alpino Italiano in 1866. It was a primitive shelter made of stone and lime that has gradually been transformed into a quaint museum dedicated to the history of Italian mountaineering. 

Two special places in Parco del Monviso: the Pian del Re, a spectacular plateau where the Po River has its source, and the Pian della Regina, favourite alpine skiing venue, located just a short distance further down the valley. Many trails start from this place and lead to the peak of Monte Viso, to the tour of refuges around the peak, or to the colle delle Traversette, a historical mountain pass that links the ancient Marchesato di Saluzzo with France.

The upper Po Valley and its surrounding territories also provide plenty of opportunities for amateur cyclists, with specific mountain bike trails (in the Oncino, Paesana and Brondello areas), bicycle tourism trails (leading up to Ostana or Pian del Re in Crissolo, the source of the Po River) and enduro trails, with equipped itineraries on the slopes over the municipality of Paesana. 

For people who like to stay at medium altitudes, Monte Bracco is the best solution. Its extensive network of well-marked trails emerges in a sun-drenched panoramic landscape, which has been populated since the Neolithic period and appreciated by many, including Leonardo da Vinci. In this area, one of the most important places to see is the museum-hamlet Balma Boves, built under a rock overhang and abandoned only in the 1950s. 

On the sides of the main valley, there are two other valleys: Valle Infernotto, with Bagnolo Piemonte, the capital of stone production, and Valle Bronda, with its high quality fruit products, including organic apples, apricots, plums and local grapes used to make Pelaverga, the local wine produced here since the 16th century.