Walk along the river, then through the parks of the Turin hills.
Technical Notes
Departure: Turin, piazza Maria Ausiliatrice (Sanctuary of Maria Ausiliatrice, 230 m)
Arrival: Eremo dei Camaldolesi (614 m)
Length: 12,1 km
Elevation gain: 423 m
Difficulty: hiking, with uphill stretches interspersed with short flat sections
Refreshments: the city route offers numerous dining and shopping options (especially in the large market of Porta Palazzo) until the Isabella bridge. Later, with a short detour, to Colle della Maddalena.
Water: drinking fountains are numerous throughout the city, along the Po River, and in the parks.
Description
For the description of the route from the Sanctuary of Maria Ausiliatrice (A) to the Vittorio Emanuele I bridge (B), please refer to the Stage 1 sheet of the High Path. After crossing the bridge, turn right onto corso Moncalieri and walk along the Po River with a beautiful panoramic view of Monte dei Cappuccini. Leaving Umberto I bridge on the right, descend towards the river and cross the park dedicated to the victims of Nazi camps (a beautiful avenue of plane trees), then ascend on the road a hundred meters after catching a glimpse of the Medieval Village on the opposite side of the river (alternatively, following an unmarked path, after reaching Umberto I bridge, cross it, turn left at the Arch, and walk through Parco del Valentino, passing the Botanical Garden, the Valentino Castle, the Medieval Village, and the Fountain of the Twelve Months, then turn left onto Isabella bridge and left again onto corso Moncalieri).. Cross the street at the traffic light, turn left, and then pass through the entrance gate of Giacomo Leopardi Park, ascending along an avenue lined with majestic plane trees to reach a plateau with children’s play areas. On the right, a path starts leading to another grassy area, from which a trail adjacent to a fence emerges, guiding towards the ancient road of San Vito. The road soon turns into a path running alongside a stream and leads to the San Vito-Revigliasco road. Continue left on the sidewalk bordering San Vito Park until encountering (approximately 1.4 km from the Leopardi Park gate) a path allowing entry, which shortly leads to an avenue opening onto a wide plateau offering a panoramic view of Turin. Finally, take the trail ascending through the meadows toward Viale Seneca, then turn left and, after a few dozen meters, turn right onto the asphalt road until reaching, on the left, a widening marked by a pedestrian gate (alternative route: disregard the ascending path and continue on the asphalt road, which leads, via a final staircase, to the San Vito – Revigliasco road, then proceed to the viewpoint in front of the Church of SS. Vito, Modesto, and Crecenza, and finally, shortly after, turn left, continuing on the asphalt road to the pedestrian gate). After passing through the gate, follow the trail leading to a plateau, continuing slightly downhill on the Boschi local road (ignoring the path on the right descending to Cascina Bert) until reaching Quadrivio Raby, at the entrance to Maddalena Park. Cross the two pedestrian crossings and proceed into the park along the path passing next to a fountain (last opportunity to replenish water) until reaching a fork shortly after Fontana Fredda (approximately 2.8 km from San Vito Park). Here, turn left, ascending until intersecting with Trail No. 12 of the Turin Hill. Continue right, gradually ascending, first ignoring the right turn towards Colle della Maddalena and the Faro della Vittoria at the information panel (M)on the Green Ring (GTC Trail and Trail No. 31, potential detour for refreshments at Colle della Maddalena),then the path descending left towards Cascina Mainero. The final part of the path, transitioning from flat to slightly undulating, might have very muddy sections in case of rain and ends at the road to Colle; turn left here and, after 100 meters, turn right, shortly arriving at the Tower (L)and the Hermitage of the Camaldolese (approximately 2.2 km from the entrance to Parco della Maddalena).
Walking through the history of Turin
Monte dei Cappuccini: a hill (284 meters above sea level) overlooking the Gran Madre, offering a stunning panoramic view. Atop it stands the Church of S. Maria del Monte, with the main altar by Castellamonte. The adjacent former convent houses the Museo nazionale della Montagna, featuring an observation point with a movable telescope.
Parco del Valentino: dating back to 1630, when a small park near the Royal Castle gradually transformed into a public green area, expanding to over 46 hectares.
Botanical Garden: adjacent to the Valentino Castle, founded in the 18th century, an active research center featuring a beautiful building with greenhouses and an orangery.
Valentino Castle: built by the Castellamonte family between 1630-1660 for Madama Reale Maria Cristina di Francia as a leisure and rest villa. It consists of four towers, has a horseshoe-shaped layout, and was looted of its splendid furnishings during the Napoleonic era. Today it houses the Faculty of Architecture.
Medieval Village: a faithful reconstruction of a 15th-century feudal village built in 1884 along the Po River. It includes a drawbridge leading to the castle surrounded by crenellated walls, with shops, a beautiful wrought-iron fountain, and a small botanical garden.
Fountain of the 12 Months: a circular fountain – an allegorical representation of the four Turin rivers (Po, Sangone, Dora Riparia, and Stura) with twelve female statues symbolizing the months. Constructed for the Italian National Exhibition of 1898.
Giacomo Leopardi Park: majestic trees lining the avenues, formerly part of the estate of one of the numerous villas with vineyards built by noble families as summer retreats and agricultural properties. Just beyond the park entrance, the entrances to air-raid shelters from the Second World War era can be observed.
San Vito Park: a green area with expansive meadows, offering splendid views of the city and the Alps.
Maddalena Park: at 715 meters, it’s the highest point of the Turin hill, featuring the imposing bronze statue of the Faro della Vittoria. In a section of it (Rimembranza Park), thousands of plants of 400 different species were planted in memory of the Turin fallen in the First World War. Each tree has a plaque bearing the name of a fallen soldier of the Great War.
Eremo dei Camaldolesi: in the first half of the 17th century, a large Abbey of the Camaldolesi monks was built, experiencing a prosperous period until the suppression of religious institutions by Napoleon. It went through centuries with changes in ownership, gradually falling into abandonment. Today, this beautiful plateau houses a senior center, while the so-called Tower of the Mill has become property of SERMIG.
Map
