Holiday apartment in Maddalena: mountain trails, history and Piedmontese cuisine

Maddalena: mountain trails, history and Piedmontese cuisine

If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Maddalena for a varied stay, this is where mountain trails, religious history and Piedmontese cuisine come together. The former school building in the Borgata Maddalena is now used as tourist and educational accommodation. Its courtyard is equipped for tourists to relax, read and eat outdoors. The historic Borgata Maddalena in Giaveno is also home to the Rifugio La Madlena.

Hiking between two valleys

A notable hiking connection is the Maddalena–Colle della Roussa route. It starts in Maddalena at 770 m and ends at Colle della Roussa at 2,030 m. These elevations provide a clear reference for understanding the trail. The Sentiero delle Acque climbs through the valley of the rio Brunello and descends through the valley of the rio del Parco. Prese Damon can be reached by car from Maddalena; from there, the Sentiero delle Acque can be reached.

The Fontana Pitacrù is part of the Sentiero delle Acque and is considered a viewpoint and resting place. Ca’ Verde, a distinctive stone building with a steeply pitched roof, is also located along the trail. It was built in 1933 as a forest hut, the Rifugio Brunello. These specific waypoints provide additional orientation for a hike through the valleys, without requiring nature and history to be considered separately.

Routes with different stories

The third stage of the Quota Mille also reaches the hamlet of Maddalena via Viretta, where the Rifugio La Madlena is located. In the area around Maddalena, a panoramic detour of the Sentiero dei Semplici leads from Borgata Verna to the chapel of San Pietro e Giuseppe. The Sentiero dei morti recalls an earlier use: it was used to transport the deceased from the valley to the cemetery of the Maddalena parish. The different trail names therefore represent very different ways of exploring the surrounding area.

Church, buildings and festival tradition

The history of the area includes the church of Santa Maria Maddalena. It was built in 1780 by Francesco Ferrero and extended in 1930 according to a design by the architect Lino Ravegnan. Along the Maddalena–Colle della Roussa route, the trail passes the Palazzina Sertorio, now known as the Osservatorio per l’ambiente alpino. Another living tradition is the patronal festival of Santa Maria Maddalena in Maddalena. It is one of the largest and most visited patronal celebrations in the borgate of Giaveno.

Accommodation and culinary character

The Rifugio La Madlena serves traditional Piedmontese cuisine made with ingredients from the region and the relevant season. This culinary connection may be an important part of your travel planning if, alongside trails and architectural history, you also want regional food culture to be part of your stay. When choosing accommodation in Maddalena, you can balance the focus you want to place on hiking, culture, festival traditions and regional cuisine.

A holiday apartment in Maddalena to suit your travel plans

A holiday apartment in Maddalena is particularly interesting as a search option if you want to bring together different experiences around the same place: trails with clear starting and end points, historic buildings, a chapel, a church and Piedmontese cuisine. For your planning, consider which of these themes should define your stay. The route to Colle della Roussa, the Sentiero delle Acque and the other trails described here offer different points of connection.

Further destinations for your travel plans

Rubiana, Ivrea, Castagnole Piemonte, Settimo Vittone, Fiano, Casalborgone, Ceresole Reale and Bruzolo

For the overarching travel overview: Turin.