Journey through the senses in the village of the Kings

More than cheese. In the white gold that from the fragrant pastures of the Alps ends up on the Italians tables there is history, anthropology, culture and identity. But first you need a long and skilful decantation. For centuries the wait has been dictated by the suspended time of the "crutin”: saddles and caves where the millenary knowledge of the herdsmen transformed cheeses into treasures of taste.

Today the cellars of the village of the kings in Valcasotto are a site of cultural history of the Alps. Open all year round, they welcome families, couples, groups, for a unique sensory experience. The path is customized: like a tailored suit.

You can choose to match a visit to the cellars with a Piedmontese cooking course, enjoy lunch and dinner, taste baked goods made only with local flours and explore culture, art and nature. 

Silence, alpine panoramas and nature: Val Casotto is a paradise for hikers.

Among the proposals: the ring of the royal palace and pastures is 7 km long and lasts 3-4 hours, with a difference in height of 200 metres. It ends with a visit to the seasoning of the village of the kings. Small groups are planned, price is 20 € / person. 

Then there is the valley of the Moscardina stream, the most alpine corner of the whole Casotto valley: magnificent pastures, ancient stables, rhododendrons and marmots in front of the dolomite mass of the Panne or the fortresses of Pietrabruna. The route is 12 km long and lasts 6 hours. Small groups are planned, price is 25 € / person. 

And again from the hill of Casotto to Mindino, from where you can see the sea up to Corsica, and the ring of Pamparato, a journey through time between centuries-old chestnut trees, the entrance to a mine of the early '900 and ancient frescoed chapels. In winter snowshoeing excursions organised by the volunteers of the Pro loco of Serra Pamparato.

In Pamparato it is worthwhile to go through the centuries-old chestnut trees that form the backdrop to the woods of the Valley of the Kings. Theirs is a magical wood that echoes with ancient harmonies. This is the reason why a chain of Master luthiers whose instruments have given life, over the centuries, to a precious art carried out with equal skill by young craftsmen that every year, in summer, hold workshops dedicated to the construction of ancient instruments: from mandolins to “viole da gamba”.

The prestigious festival of the Saracens, for more than fifty years the most valuable festival of ancient sacred music in Italy.

Not just the castle of kings. Two centuries before Casotto, Vittorio Carlo Emanuele I di Savoia commissioned the construction of a huge cathedral, the sanctuary of Vicoforte, a stone's throw from the entrance to the Valley of the kings. Its peak, studded with 6000 square metres of frescoes, is the largest elliptical dome in the world and can be visited for an experience on top of the clouds with a helmet and harness. It is no coincidence that they called it Magnificat. While below, at the entrance of the Sanctuary, rest the mortal remains of the last kings of Italy: Vittorio Emanuele III and Queen Elena of Montenegro.