Fonti della Bauda Springs Loop

The Fonti della Bauda Loop is a demanding route exploring the southern slopes of the Val Bormida di Calizzano, through beech and chestnut forests up to the historic Bauda springs, used since the Middle Ages by transhumant shepherds. The trail climbs steadily from the valley floor at 634m to over 1,100 metres, passing clearings where mountain arnica and great yellow gentian bloom in summer. The most exposed section follows a panoramic ridge with views stretching across the Ligurian-Piedmontese Apennine divide, reaching as far as Monviso on clear days. Along the way, abandoned charcoal-burning platforms — circular clearings where charcoal was produced until the 1940s — and dry-stone pastoral shelters dot the landscape. The return descends along an ancient cobbled mule track. Recommended from June to October