The Old Salt Road – La Via del Sale
October 19, 2010 by Anna Merulla / Tags: 4x4 , Alta Via Monti Liguri , biking , edelweiss , hiking , jeep , Marvels , mountainbike , off road , offroad , quad , route du sel , salt way , stella alpina , Tende , tour , trekking , via del sale / 0 Comments
These trails are perfect for biking, trekking or going off-road and combine a holiday with a full immersion in nature. The hinterland is fascinating, at times it opens onto the sea and at others onto panoramas that extend beyond the Alps and the Appennines.
One of these trails is historical and it is known as “Via del Sale” – the Salt Road. It is an ancient route by which salt in past was transported inland from Liguria.
This route is one of the most beautiful off the beaten track on the Ligurian Alps. It’s not difficult and it winds through the italian and the french territory. You can reach altitudes higher than 2000 meters and due this, it is available only from July to September when the roads are clear of snow.
In August, we organized a two days tour of the “Via del Sale” with off road cars (4×4). One of the partecipants, Viviana, offered to tell us her two day experience on the Salt Road.
Viviana was looking for an adventure trip and she wanted to discover the Maritime Alps, so she thought the 4×4 tour on the Via del Sale was the right combination for her and her friends.
During the expedition she had the opportunity to see little towns, like Triora, the famous whitches village, La Brigue (a very pretty little mountain village located just off the main Roya Valley road) and Tende (an italian-style medieval town with houses grouped tightly together on the flank of the mountain).
That day our guides drove from the medieval villages to the roof of the Ligurian Alps, with spectacular views over the lush valleys down to the coast. From there you can even see Corsica island on a dry, clear day.
She was enthusiast about the panoramas in the area, she told us it was a photographers’ mountain paradise.
They walked also on the Valle delle Meraviglie (Valley of Marvels) at about 2000 meters above sea level. The Valley has incredible scenery and contains remains of several paleolithic settlements.
Following the high trails, Viviana and her friends saw two old forts and decided to take a break before arriving at the camp location to pass the night. They decided to spent their night in that location because they wanted the opportunity to look up into a night sky void of light pollution.
The next day was a lucky day for them. In fact, they were able to see an edelweiss, the rare European mountain flower that is also known as the Queen’s flower. Below you can see the picture!
They ended their tour meeting on their way back at home, a local farmer that sold fresh cheese and milk.
Back at home, Viviana told me she had a great experience and sent me all the pictures that you saw in the article.
For 4×4 off road tour ask Beautiful Liguria
