Crissolo: Ski Resort, Nature and Culture
Accommodation in Crissolo
Ski resort, ice rink and mountain biking trails
The Crissolo ski resort has one chairlift and two drag lifts. It runs from the town center at around 1,333 meters up to an altitude of approximately 2,400 meters and offers around 15 kilometers of slopes. A chairlift transports winter sports enthusiasts on seats, while a drag lift assists the ascent via a tow cable. An outdoor natural ice rink is located in the center of Crissolo. The term outdoor natural ice rink refers to an ice rink with naturally formed ice. Mountain biking trails also start from Crissolo and are very popular with mountain bikers.
File:Nei boschi sopra Crissolo in autunno.jpg
Photo: Elena cischino via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Circular hike and ascent route to Monviso
Depending on the hikers’ fitness levels, the classic Giro del Monviso circular hike takes two to five days. The classic Giro del Monviso route can begin in the Po Valley at Pian del Re. On the ascent route to Monviso, the trail leads from Pian del Re to the Rifugio Quintino Sella mountain hut at an altitude of approximately 2,640 meters in about two and a half hours. For planning purposes, the timeframe ranges from the approximately two-and-a-half-hour ascent to the multi-day circular hike. The official source of the Po is located at Pian del Re.
Pian del Re and the Grotta di Rio Martino
Pian del Re is a special nature reserve at approximately 2,020 meters above sea level and covers around 465 hectares around the source of the Po. A special nature reserve protects a specifically designated natural area. The Pian del Re visitor center is located in a former barracks and provides information, through numerous explanatory panels, about the flora and fauna on the slopes of Monviso. Flora and fauna refer to plant and animal life. The Grotta di Rio Martino is located above the settlement of Crissolo in the Po Valley. The Grotta di Rio Martino is a nature reserve of high ecological value, as it is home to rare and highly specialized fauna. Access to the Grotta di Rio Martino is limited to reserved visits and requires accompaniment by a qualified nature guide.
Historic attractions and local tradition
The Santuario di San Chiaffredo was built in 1440 and 1441 on the foundations of an older chapel. The Santuario di San Chiaffredo houses around 1,000 votive paintings. A votive painting is a religious panel painting. The Buco di Viso was built between 1475 and 1480 as the first Alpine tunnel. Since 2016, the Bussolin has once again been part of Crissolo’s annual events program.
Monviso Adventure Park
The Monviso Adventure Park offers a high ropes course with Tibetan bridges, zip lines over the Po and a flyboard. In a high ropes course, Tibetan bridges are rope elements; zip lines run along a taut cable over a distance.
Other destinations in the same higher-level area include Roe, Beinette, Canosio, Barge, Vernante, Limone Piemonte, Sanfront and Roccaforte Mondovì.
To the higher-level travel overview: Cuneo.
