20 - Dora Baltea Canavesana hiking map 1:25.000 - Laghi d'Ivrea 1:12.500 with guide

Only recently has the Dora Baltea Canavese district been discovered by tourists, foreigners for the most part. It has unique landscapes of great interest for visitors. Located at the opening of the Aosta valley, it is geographically distinct. Running along its side and front are some of the most extensive and undoubtedly best preserved moraines in Europe, which make up the so-called Moraine Amphitheatre of Ivrea. The district boasts mountains that soar as high as 2500 metres in the Scalaro basin, while the flanks opposite are dominated by the Mombarone, an especially popular destination for local walkers. This mountain affords superb views that range over the plain and as far as the Ligurian and Central Alps, along with a good part of the crown of peaks in Piedmont. Starting out from the main moraine ridges, a series of minor moraines branch out towards the interior, each home to splendid villages and hamlets surrounded by wooded hills. As the Balteo glacier retreated, it scooped out multiple basins that led to the formation of a number of sizeable bodies of water, the so-called “Lakes of Ivrea”. Walkers will enjoy solitude as they follow majestic stepped stone ways constructed for farming-pastoral purposes and dating back centuries, as well as a dense network of paths at lower altitudes which are well suited to mountain bikers. Cultivated terraces (vineyards for the most part), castles and dairy farms complete the picture. The mountain settlements of Maletto and Scalaro are delightful, as are the villages along the banks of the river Dora Baltea, undiscovered by mass tourism, an added attraction. The best times to visit are spring and autumn; good bases for exploring the area are Settimo Vittone and Quincinetto which boasts a splendid camping ground open year-round, and top quality restaurants and pizzeria.

1 Bec di Nona

2 Mombarone and Punta Tre Vescovi

3 The Via Francigena in the Canavese district

4 A Loop from Montestrutto

5 From Andrate to San Giacomo

6 The Five Lakes on the Serra d'Ivrea

7 The Brosso Mines

8 Monte Cavallaria Circuit

9 Around Cima Battaglia