A stone’s throw from Italy

On foot along the hiking trails or by car, bus or train, Italy really is very close! During your stay in Haute Maurienne Vanoise, take the time to visit Susa, Bardonecchia or even Turin, which is not that far away!

A taste of… Dolce vita

A sudden craving for the elegance of Italian architecture and gastronomy? Travel 13.6 km through the Fréjus road tunnel (toll charge) from Modane to Bardonecchia and in less than an hour and a half you’ll find yourself in Turin, the Piedmont capital.

We recommend, however, that you take the D1006 road from Val Cenis Lanslebourg (France), cross the Mont-Cenis plateau and take the road originally plotted by Napoleon to reach Susa (Italy) and our neighbours in Piedmont.

When you reach the halfway point, at an altitude of 1,974 metres, you will be facing the sixth largest manmade reservoir in France, Mont Cenis Lake.

Stop for a moment and succumb to the charm of the only remaining 19th-century vestiges, Ronce Fort, perched 2,286 metres above sea level. There’s no doubt about it, you will never cease to be enchanted by the majestic panorama unfurling before your eyes.

Further on, you will undoubtedly notice the pyramid-shaped chapel built by EDF in 1968 to replace the priory of the engulfed village of Grand-Croix located at the foot of the dam.

A few more hairpin bends and you’re there.

No, you’re not dreaming! Less than 50 minutes and 41 km! Italy has never seemed so close!

For the more energetic, there are plenty of hiking trails that were once used by shepherds and peddlers to visit our Piedmontese neighbours.

France & Italy

To discover

Mont-Cenis alpine garden

Muséobar - Border museum

5Aug

Rochemelon pilgrim

Haute Maurienne

Border zone

Piedmont

Our neighbours and friends

Exchanges with our Italian neighbours have always been an opportunity for intense moments of warmth. Mountain-dwellers at heart, we all enjoy attending Mass together at the top of Rochemelon, or meeting at Susa market on a Tuesday morning!