Saturdays are dedicated to baking bread. It’s possible to take part in the kneading of the sourdough for both the bread and the pizzas that we bake in our wood burning oven. Our pizzas are served with delicious toppings at dinner to anyone who has made a reservation.
The Urania Astronomical Observatory, just one kilometre from Casa Payer, offers cultural events, tours and observations, with friendly expertise. The celebrated astronaut Paolo Nespoli is among the list of the Observatory’s distinguished guests.
Another local gem is Matteo Salusso’s School of Weaving. It’s both for beginners and to explore traditional and ethnic techniques at a deeper level. Have you ever dreamed of weaving nettle fibres? Matteo builds and sells splendidly handcrafted looms.
If you fancy experiencing nature from the kingdom of water, contact Francesco! Free Flow is his Kayaking School. He is an internationally renowned instructor who also offers river rafting.
The naturopathic school, The Rudy Lanza Institute, in Luserna San Giovanni is a testimony of Italian excellence right on our doorstep, and the Galleria Tucci Russo of Contemporary Art in Torre Pellice exhibits an array of artists from around the globe.
Casa Payer is on the Anello delle creste (Crest Ring) one of the routes designed for cycle tourism with physical signage and a downloadable route
The beauty of Casa Payer is that you are already on a green itinerary, no adornment, no fancy names, just a secluded territory, returned to wilderness since the days when agriculture opted for the more accommodating lowlands. Its hilly position offers walks for all abilities. The Chiamogna stream, inhabited by freshwater shrimps which testify to its purity, escorts you along parts of these. Upstream or down? Two looped routes that lend themselves well to Walking Meditation.
Complex geological diversity characterizes these woods where traces of an old graphite mine can also be found. Collect a few fragments and write with them!
This is a Valdese valley; its history is often told referring to places in nature such as the “Gheisa ‘dla Tana: a cave where worship was practiced to avoid persecution.
Bonfires on 17th February celebrate the granting of civil rights to the Valdese in 1848. Myriad fires light up the valley like stars. The “Scuolette Beckwith” or “Little Beckwith Schools”, scattered across the territory, brought schooling to every hamlet. The Val Pellice is one of the shortest valleys of the alpine arc, which heightens its sense of community and makes it easy to get to its upper regions.
In the larger rivers, the Pellice, the Angrogna and the Luserna, you can find the famous “Tumpi”: natural pools formed in the rocks where it’s possible to bathe, enjoy a whirlpool massage and in some, dive in.
The “national populare” walk is at the “Conca del Prà”, which leads up the river Pellice to its source and ends in an enormous hollow surrounded by the mountains which border with France. Then our favourite excursion, the “Vallone dell’Invincibile” or “Valley of the Invincible”, is in the company of the Subiasco river and a continuously changing landscape of rocks.
Beyond the boundaries of the valley, we love to visit the park which surrounds the Miradolo Castle and stroll down the cobbled streets of Saluzzo. It’s up to you to discover the rest!