Valley of Princes

The Valley of Princes is a suspended valley of exceptional beauty.
The lower section climbs the steep, forested mountainside, but upon reaching the upper part, you enter peat bogs and find a small lake.
Arriving in the flat valley, crossed by a small stream—known as Valle dei Principi—leads you to a truly magnificent place.
The described route includes a section with only a small trail, but it allows you to complete a full loop of the area.

From the Pont-Saint-Martin motorway exit, turn right towards Turin. At the second roundabout, turn left following the signs for Gressoney.
The road climbs for a few hundred meters before turning right into the Lys Valley, passing through the villages of Lillianes, Fontainemore, Issime, and Gaby.
Continue until you reach Valdobbia, where you turn left toward Castel Savoia.
Just after the stream, on the right, you will find a series of parking lots where you can leave your car.

From the car park, cross the Lys stream and the regional road to take the trail that ascends between the houses (on the left, some paintings decorate a house façade).
Reach another small road, and then the steep ascent begins.
At about 1,550 meters, leave the path that goes to Sottile Refuge and turn right onto the trail that crosses a rocky area, then climbs steeply through the larch forest.
At a fork near a small stream, continue to the right to reach the Òndre Hòbéerg alpine huts.
Continue along the ridge, partly over pasture and partly through larch forest, until reaching Òbre Hòbéerg.
After a short section through the forest, leave the trail leading to Òndre Scherpia and climb steeply along an unmarked path.
This leads to the exit of Valle dei Principi on the left side of the small stream.
After a well-deserved pause to enjoy the beauty of the place, continue on the left of the winding stream along a small trail, then ascend slightly left to a col where the main trail is rejoined (from this point, moving about ten meters to the right, you reach a small rise below which lies a small but charming lake).
Descend now passing to the right of the Òbre Scherpia hut, then turn sharply left along the edge of a large peat bog, before descending to the Òndre Scherpia huts.
From here, continue across pastures and, after a steeper section protected by fences, reach Alpe Pòtzie. Shortly after, at a fork, follow the morning route back to the car.