IL NIDO DELLE RONDINI
BALBOUTET
ACTIVITIES... some suggestions
USSEAUX AND ITS FIVE BORGATES
Usseaux is a mountain municipality which with its five alpine villages represents one of the most intact example of rural architecture in the whole Val Chisone. The small villages perched on the mountain sides, the stone and wooden houses, the stables, the bread ovens, the fountains and an agricultural and peasant reality of the high mountains still alive and well preserved today, offer notable elements of interest:
Usseaux, the land of murals and the bread chain
Balboutet, the village of the sun, sundials and swallows
Laux, the water village
Pourrieres, the hamlet of Assietta
Fraisse, the village of woods and wood
Balboutet , an agricultural center renowned for its cattle breeding, the production of cheeses and the zootechnical fair on 23 August, is called the "land of sun and sundials" due to its exposure in the south; in fact there are about twenty solar quadrants that can be discovered along the central street and the alleys of the village.
The Municipality of Usseaux is part of the exclusive club of the MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGES OF ITALY and of the "Gems of Piedmont", has obtained the ORANGE FLAG of the TOURING CLUB, the GREEN FLAG of LEGAMBIENTE and the "SUSTAINABLE VILLAGES OF PIEDMONT". For the past 10 years the maximum recognition of the four flowers has been obtained in the national competition COMUNI FIORITI. In 2014 Usseaux was silver medal at the ENTENTE FLORALE European competition and, in 2019, gold medal in the "small village" category at the COMMUNITIES IN BLOOM international competition in Canada.
NATURE AND CURIOSITY
Of particular naturalistic value, the Pian dell'Alpe , at an altitude of 2000 m, represents a unique natural environment, rich in woods and luxuriant pastures, with stupendous blooms and enchanting views.
Near the evocative Lago delle Rane, "the giant bench of Usseaux" was inaugurated in 2020, promoted by the BIG BENCH COMMUNITY PROJECT (BBCP) initiative to support local communities, tourism and artisan excellence.
The Orsiera Rocciavrè and Gran Bosco di Salbertrand Natural Parks extend into the municipal area.
A short drive away is the Val Troncea Natural Park , which occupies the head of the Chisone stream basin, known as the Valley of Flowers for the variety of its alpine flora, as well as a place of rare beauty and great mineral wealth.
Among the hiking itineraries that the Municipality of Usseaux suggests for families and children, we mention:
Usseaux - Mountains of Usseaux
Usseaux - Lake of frogs
Laux - Albergian lakes
Laux - Towards the Laux rock
Fraisse - Cembreta larch trail
Fraisse - Faussimagna
Pourrieres - Balboutet - Borgata Cerogne
Balboutet - Fortress of the hill
Balboutet - Alpe Assietta
Pian dell'Alpe - Hill of the windows - Cima Ciantiplagna
Pian dell'Alpe - Pequerel - Forte Serre Marie
Pian dell'Alpe - Forte Dado
Colle delle Finestre - Tooth of the old woman
Colle delle Finestre - Balboutet: Gran Serin
HISTORY, ART AND CULTURE
History buffs will find of great interest a visit to the Fenestrelle Fort , with its three fortified complexes, the San Carlo, the Tre Denti and the delle Valli, its museum on the "Passi del De Amicis", the numerous entrenchments and the defense fortifications of the north-western front at high altitude, such as the battery of the Gran Serin and the fort of Finestre and the symbolic places of the history of Piedmont, such as the battle of Assietta.
Art lovers will appreciate the magnificent murals (over 40 in Usseaux, the capital!), The painted lose, the wooden bas-reliefs of Fraisse, the sundials of Balboutet, as well as immerse themselves in the culture of the places by visiting the small house-museum "la Maison Blanc "in Balboutet, the“ Brunetta d'Usseaux - Protagonists and Heroes ” Museum Point in Usseaux and the Museum of customs, traditions and Alpine people in Pragelato.
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ALL SPORT!
Sports enthusiasts will find endless possibilities in the surroundings in all seasons of the year.
In winter, the snow will be the perfect ally for enthusiastic excursions on foot, with snowshoes, ski mountaineering or fat-bikes.
A short drive away you can reach the Via Lattea alpine ski area, site of the 2006 Winter Olympics, which with its 400 km of slopes connects Italy and France and the stations of Pragelato, Sestriere, Sansicario, Sauze d 'Oulx, Cesana, Claviere and Montgenévre, offering sunny and panoramic slopes, suitable for skiers of all levels of experience. In Pragelato Plan, the Olympic venue for cross-country skiing, you can compare yourself on the paths of the Olympic track and the tourist route that winds along the Val Troncea. Sestriere also offers two different cross-country skiing rings on Monte Rotta, as well as an outdoor ice skating rink, with a panoramic view of the alpine ski slopes.
During the other seasons, there are endless itineraries to follow for walking, running training and excursions by bike and on horseback on the trails and military roads at high altitude. Particularly popular are the routes along the Assietta road (where eagles dare!) And Colle delle Finestre , the "Coppi peak" of the Giro d'Italia 2018 and the scene of the old-time undertaking of the British cyclist Chris Froome. The district offers almost 800 km of high-altitude carriage roads, straddling the Val Chisone and the Valle di Susa, which every year also attract many fans of motorcycling and off-road excursions.
Climbing lovers, in Claviere and Cesana Torinese will be able to find rock gyms, via ferratas, the wonderful Tibetan bridge over the gorges of the S. Gervasio stream and the Chaberton adventure park.
In Pragelato, Sestriere and Claviere there are also 3 golf courses, respectively with 9, 18 and 9 holes.