Holiday apartment in Prali: lakes, mines and winter trails

For active days, Prali combines short and longer experiences. In the 13 Laghi area, there is the two-hour, easy walking route “I laghi e le antiche leggende”, which can also be ridden by mountain bike. Prali BikePark consists of seven downhill trails with varying degrees of difficulty, lengths and gradients. At Bike & Mine, participants ride more than two kilometres through the underground tunnels of the Gianna mine. The Boulder Area at the 13 Laghi can be reached via both sections of the chairlift to Bric Rond and then by a footpath taking approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

Family trails and insights into the Alpine surroundings

“Il sentiero dei bambini” is a family hiking trail from Ghigo to Villa. A story divided into five parts accompanies the route; along the way there are chainsaw sculptures, houses belonging to dwarves and a forest of talking trees. The Prali Animal Area complements this experience as an educational outdoor trail for families, children and visitors interested in Alpine wildlife. The 2.5-kilometre accessible Sentiero 4All offers information boards about the local flora and fauna.

More than four kilometres of developed and equipped underground tunnels run through the Paola and Gianna mines. ScopriMiniera takes visitors underground aboard a mining train into the Paola mine. ScopriAlpi leads through the mine’s tunnels and facilities, combining a three-hour exploration with multimedia installations, lights, sounds and narrating voices. The route also passes through an approximately 65-million-year-old tectonic contact in the underground of the Gianna mine, illustrating the collision of Africa with Europe and the formation of the Alps.

Winter holidays with different focuses

In winter, Prali has marked snowshoe trails established by the “Le Ciaspole” association. Snowshoe route 1, classified as easy, leads from Giordano di Prali to Grange del Torre and back, has an elevation gain of 435 metres and takes two to two and a half hours. Prali’s ski area has an elevation difference of 1,100 metres and includes four lifts. The cross-country ski trail is more than 12 kilometres long and runs from Ghigo di Prali to Villa di Prali. A snow park caters to freestyle users, both beginners and experienced users. The ski school offers lessons and activities in Alpine skiing, snowboarding, carving and cross-country skiing; in winter, the bocce courts in Prali are transformed into a natural ice rink.

Hamlets, museums and choosing your accommodation

The Sentiero delle borgate leads visitors to discover the hamlets around the upper Val Germanasca. The route has historical and ethnographic connections as well as panoramic and natural views, and is suitable for a half-day walk with little elevation gain. In the former school of Villa di Rodoretto, a museum reconstructs domestic interiors and a classroom from a mountain school. Another museum in one of the oldest Waldensian temples in Val Germanasca, built in 1556, documents the history of the valley’s Waldensian community through the history of its religious buildings.

When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home in Prali, you can therefore first determine your preferred holiday pace: lakes, easy trails and family stories offer different highlights from mining, hamlets and Waldensian history; in winter, snowshoes, skiing, cross-country skiing, a snow park and an ice rink are added. The different route lengths and time indications make it easier to find your bearings between a short walk, half a day and extended sporting experiences. The Museo Valdese di Prali can be reached by public transport via a scheduled bus from Turin to Prali or by train to Pinerolo followed by a scheduled bus to Prali.

You can also discover these places: Salassa, Druento, Quincinetto, Candia Canavese, Pinerolo, Montalto Dora, Pralormo and Vidracco.

To the higher-level travel overview: Turin.