There are mornings, especially between autumn and spring, when Genoa offers you an unexpected perspective. If you climb to Spianata Castelletto or venture out to the forts that crown the city, and turn your gaze towards the north-west, beyond the expanse of slate rooftops and the Apennine hills, you will see a white wall cutting through the blue sky. They are the Alps. They seem like an unreachable mirage, suspended above the Mediterranean, but the geographical reality of this extraordinary land is different: the great mountain is within reach. It takes just two and a half hours of travel to leave our residences in the heart of Genoa, say goodbye to the scent of pesto and focaccia, and find yourself immersed in the pungent aroma of pine resin, surrounded by peaks exceeding three thousand meters.
The Sunday column “Not Just Genoa” is born precisely to remind you of this privilege: staying in the Superb city means having the keys to a vast and ever-changing territory. And while the Riviera di Levante and Cinque Terre are the most obvious destinations, the Piedmont hinterland and the Maritime Alps represent the perfect escape for those seeking the silence of the forests, the rarefied air of high altitude, and a gastronomic culture profoundly different, yet historically linked to the Ligurian one by the ancient Salt Routes. Prepare your hiking boots or snowshoes, because we’re taking you to the Parco Naturale delle Alpi Marittime, the kingdom of wolves, ibex, and Savoy kings.
Cuneo: The Elegant Parlor at the Foot of the Peaks
To explore the Maritime Alps, the ideal base is Cuneo. The name itself of the city describes its shape: a wedge of land wedged at the confluence of two watercourses, the Gesso torrent and the Stura di Demonte river. Arriving in Cuneo from Genoa is an experience of contrasts. You leave a vertical city, squeezed between the mountains and the sea, a labyrinth of shadowy caruggi, and you arrive at a horizontal city, open, defined by immense avenues and a Savoyard-style urban grid that breathes an almost Parisian air.
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The beating heart of the city is Piazza Galimberti, a vast square surrounded by nineteenth-century palaces. From here branch out eight kilometers of uninterrupted arcades. The arcades of Cuneo are not merely an architectural solution to shelter from snow in winter or sun in summer; they are the true parlor of the city. Beneath these arches life flows slowly among historic cafés, dusty bookshops, elegant boutiques, and cheese shops that display aged wheels as if they were jewels. If you’re lucky enough to be in the city on Tuesday, you’ll witness the famous weekly market, one of the largest in Piedmont, where producers from the valleys come down to sell the fruits of the land and alpine pastures.
Walking along Via Roma, the main artery of the recently pedestrianized and restored historic center, you’ll notice how Cuneo is a border city, proud and discreet. The painted facades of noble palaces, ancient fraternal churches, and civic towers tell a story of sieges and resistance. But it’s by raising your eyes above the rooftops that you understand the true essence of the place: the unmistakable silhouette of Monte Bisalta closes the horizon, constantly reminding you that wild nature is just a few kilometers away.
Parco Naturale delle Alpi Marittime: The Wild Kingdom
Less than half an hour by car from Cuneo, heading up the Gesso Valley, you enter a completely different world. The Parco Naturale delle Alpi Marittime is the largest protected area in Piedmont and, together with the neighboring Parc National du Mercantour in France, forms an untouched natural area of European importance. Forget the over-exploited ski stations or alpine villages transformed into open-air boutiques: here the mountain is authentic, severe, at times harsh, but of a beauty that takes your breath away.
Photo by Marc Julien on Unsplash
Wildlife is the true star of these valleys. The park is famous for its incredible density of ungulates. Looking up towards the rocky ridges, it is not uncommon to spot the agile silhouettes of chamois or the more massive forms of ibex, the true masters of high altitudes, reintroduced here thanks to the royal hunting reserves of the nineteenth century. In clear skies, golden eagles soar and, in recent years, the bearded vulture, the lammergeier, has returned to nest among these cliffs. But the animal that fascinates and divides more than any other is the wolf. Having returned naturally to the Alps starting in the ’90s, precisely by passing through these mountains, the predator has become the symbol of a return to primordial nature.
If you are traveling with children, or if you are simply curious, a must-visit is the Men and Wolves Center in Entracque. It is not a simple museum, but rather a narrative and wildlife journey that explores the millennia-old relationship, made of fear and respect, between humans and this predator. A fenced area of several hectares hosts some specimens that would not be able to survive in the wild, offering the thrill of observing them up close through observation towers.
Activities in the park change radically with the seasons. In spring and summer, an endless network of trails leads you towards deep blue glacial lakes, such as Fremamorta Lakes, or towards historic refuges like Rifugio Valasco, housed in a particularly distinctive royal hunting lodge shaped like a castle, complete with crenellated towers, situated in the center of an idyllic grassy plain. In winter, when snow covers everything and silences the landscape, the valleys of Entracque and Valdieri become paradise for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, offering trails that wind through centuries-old beech and fir forests.
Valdieri Thermal Baths: Hot Water Among the Snow
There is an experience that, by itself, is worth the journey to the Maritime Alps, especially if you visit the area between late spring and early autumn. Climbing beyond the village of Valdieri, at 1370 meters altitude, you reach the Valdieri Thermal Baths. The road itself to get there is an immersion in nature, squeezed between rock walls and dense forests, following the rushing course of the Gesso stream.
These thermal baths have an illustrious history. They were discovered in the sixteenth century, but reached their greatest splendor in the nineteenth century, when Victor Emmanuel II, the “Hunter King,” chose them as his summer residence for chamois hunting expeditions. Thermal water springs from the rock at temperatures approaching 70 degrees Celsius, rich in sulfur and beneficial minerals. The historic thermal building, in Swiss chalet style, preserves the charm of the Belle Époque.
Imagine the sensation: after spending a day walking on high-altitude trails, with muscles tense from exertion and the crisp mountain air reddening your cheeks, you immerse yourself in an open-air pool of very hot, steaming water. The contrast between the warmth of the sulfurous water and the cool air of the high valley, surrounded by steep peaks and silent forests, is a ritual of absolute regeneration. It is important to note that, due to altitude and abundant snowfall, the thermal complex is seasonal; always verify opening periods before planning your visit.
At Table: From Sea Flavors to the Substance of Langhe and the Alps
The journey from Genoa to the province of Cuneo is also a formidable gastronomic voyage. You move from the lightness of olive oil, basil and small fish, to the opulence of Piedmontese cuisine, made of butter, fine meats and distinctive cheeses. Yet, an unexpected red thread links these two traditions: anchovies. Brought to Piedmont along the Salt Routes by Ligurian merchants, salted anchovies form the basis of the quintessential Piedmontese dish, Bagna Cauda, demonstrating how sea and mountain have always been in dialogue.
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In Cuneo and its valleys, dining is a serious matter. You cannot leave without having tasted agnolotti del plin, tiny ravioli filled with three different roasts (veal, pork, and rabbit), traditionally served dressed with roast gravy or, for purists, simply boiled and served “al tovagliolo” (in a napkin), without any sauce to enhance the flavor of the filling. Meat lovers will find in the Piedmont cattle breed, the celebrated Fassona, a true excellence: try the battuta al coltello, raw and seasoned only with a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt.
If you pass through Bra, or if you find it on Cuneo menus, order the celebrated Salsiccia di Bra, a rarity made mainly of lean veal meat, which must be eaten strictly raw. But the true king of the Maritime Alps is Castelmagno DOP cheese, produced in the alpine meadows of the nearby Grana Valley. Crumbly, with an intense and peppery flavor when aged, it is the undisputed star of the best risottos and gnocchi in the area.
To end on a sweet note, Cuneo offers a pastry masterpiece: Cuneesi al rum. These are large pralines made of two chocolate meringue wafers enclosing a dark chocolate and rum cream, all covered with dark chocolate coating. Stop by the historic Pasticceria Arione in Piazza Galimberti, where Ernest Hemingway himself stopped in 1954 to buy them, and complete your personal gourmet pilgrimage.
How to Get There and How to Plan Your Weekend
Reaching Cuneo and the Maritime Alps from Genoa is simple. By car, the classic route involves taking the A10 motorway to Savona, then taking the A6 Turin-Savona, known as “La Verdemare”. You exit at the Mondovì or Cuneo Sant’Albano tollbooth, then continue on the state road for a few kilometers to reach the city. The journey takes about two and a half hours, weather and traffic permitting. If you don’t like driving, the train is an excellent alternative: from Genoa Piazza Principe station, take a train to Savona, and from there regional trains go up the valley towards Mondovì and Fossano, reaching Cuneo in about three hours total.
To discover the region at its best, we suggest this ideal itinerary for a weekend. Leave Genoa Saturday morning early. Arrive in Cuneo by coffee time, stroll under the arcades and do some gourmet shopping among the downtown shops. Have lunch in a typical Cuneo “piola” (tavern) with tajarin and Fassona tartare. In the early afternoon, rent a car or take a bus and head up the Gesso Valley towards Entracque.
Dedicate Sunday entirely to nature. If it’s winter, rent snowshoes and venture into the silent forests; if it’s summer, choose a trail towards the alpine lakes. A hearty lunch at a mountain lodge or alpine hut, based on polenta and wild boar or alpine cheeses, will restore your energy. In the late afternoon, begin your descent towards the plains and then towards the sea.
Your return to Genoa as evening falls is a special moment. As the motorway climbs over the Apennines and the air suddenly becomes milder and salty, you will realize the magic of this land: having lived two seasons and two different worlds in the span of a few hours. Returning to our residences in the center of Genoa, tired but regenerated, will not be like returning to a simple accommodation, but like rediscovering the warmth of home after a great alpine adventure. If Liguria and its mountains are calling to you, you can book now your next stay: we are here waiting for you.
