You'll need a car to reach Ostana. From Torino, allow about an hour and a half of driving, while from Saluzzo it takes just forty minutes driving up the provincial road of Valle Po. Having your own vehicle is also essential during the weekend to cover the distances between the town's hamlets and nearby municipalities, such as Crissolo or Sanfront.
The landscape in this stretch of borghi del Piemonte is dominated by the silhouette of Monviso. From May to October, temperatures allow you to tackle hikes on snow-free trails. From mid-November to early spring, however, snowfall turns the routes into snowshoeing tracks, bearing in mind that road access to higher altitudes is closed off.
Local architecture reflects a deliberate choice of building restoration. Stone, wood, and traditional roofing mark the renovations of historic homes, where you'll often find Amelù Eco Relais or other accommodation integrated into the Alpine fabric. Organising your days requires balancing morning walks with cultural visits in the valley bottoms in the afternoon.
How to divide your days between Ostana and the valleys
Day 1 — Occitan architecture and high-altitude culture
Morning
Your first morning is useful for getting your bearings in the main village. In the centre of Ostana, Borgata La Font clearly illustrates the canons of traditional Occitan architecture, with a full restoration of the historic buildings and stone-slab roofs. Right after, it's just a short trip to reach the Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Claudio, the town's main religious building, whose position guarantees a clear view over the valley below and the mountain massif.
Afternoon
In the early afternoon, head to La Villo for the Museo Civico Etnografico di Ostana. The exhibition preserves tools from Alpine peasant and pastoral life; the visit takes about an hour. Next, make your way to Frazione Sant'Antonio to explore Borgata Sant'Antonio (Miribrart). This settlement is a model of bio-architecture in stone and wood, which also houses the Alpine library and the Lou Pourtoun cultural centre. You can easily spend an hour or two wandering the hamlet's alleys.
Evening
To round off the day, have dinner right in Borgata Sant'Antonio at the Merenderia Alpina (Viso A Viso) inside Lou Pourtoun, ordering platters of local cheeses, artisan mountain sandwiches, or polenta concia.
Day 2 — Pian del Re and the sources of the Po
Morning
Early in the morning, drive to Crissolo, about twenty minutes from Ostana, to head up to Pian del Re. At an altitude of 2,020 metres, among the protected peat bogs of the Parco del Monviso, you'll find the Sorgenti del Po a Pian del Re. The area requires half a day of exploration. From the plateau, an easy forty-minute walk leads to the glacial waters of Lago Fiorenza, sitting right beneath the mountain's north face.
Afternoon
Heading back down the valley towards the village of Crissolo, a quarter of an hour from Ostana, visit the Santuario di San Chiaffredo. Dedicated to the patron saint of Valle Po and the Marchesato di Saluzzo, this religious building houses a large collection of Alpine ex-votos; forty-five minutes is enough for a stop inside.
Evening
Driving down for another ten minutes brings you to Paesana for dinner. The Trattoria Valle Po prepares traditional dishes from the Occitan and Piedmontese valleys, keeping its menus reasonably priced.
Day 3 — High-altitude trekking and philosophical parks
Morning
This is the day for a long hike. From the starting point located in Pian da Charm / Durandini, the Trekking a Punta Selassa e Punta Ostanetta begins. The excursion aims for a panoramic balcony over 2,000 metres up, offering a 360-degree view of the entire Alpine arc. The route takes about five hours, so you need to start walking first thing in the morning.
Afternoon
On your return, stop for food at the Agriturismo A Nostro Mizoun in Frazione Durandin, which serves home-cooked dishes using zero-mile produce from their own Alpine farm. In the afternoon, drive to Frazione Marchetti to enter Il Bosco Incantato. The nature park offers an educational vegetable garden, a maze, and a barefoot walking trail; the visit takes two hours and the site is open on weekends and bank holidays between 9:00 and 19:00 (whereas in August it is always open).
Evening
For dinner, head down to Frazione San Bernardo. The Ristorante Rifugio Galaberna serves polenta and typical Occitan mountain platters, with tables overlooking the mountain peaks.
Day 4 — Historical trails and the Marchesato
Morning
Above Borgata Bernardi sits the Cappella di San Nicolao, built on a cliff near a centuries-old beech tree. From here starts the Sentiero 'Vio di Mort' (La Via dei Morti), an easy, flat historical trail that heads into the broadleaf woods, passing dry stone walls and stone fountains all the way to Castel della Soma. The round trip takes an hour and a half.
Afternoon
Leaving Ostana, drive for twenty-five minutes towards Sanfront. Here, take a guided tour of the Villaggio rupestre di Balma Boves, an ancient rural settlement built entirely beneath a rocky overhang. Continuing for another fifteen minutes, you reach the plains and the Centro Storico di Saluzzo, the ancient medieval capital with its Renaissance palaces and cobbled streets. Not far away, in Manta, you can visit the Castello della Manta, a FAI property famous for the fresco cycle in the Sala Baronale. The visit lasts an hour and a half.
Evening
Heading back towards the base of the valley, stop again in Paesana on Via Colletta. The Ristorante La Colletta offers classic Piedmontese cuisine, from fresh pastas like tajarin and plin to local meats.
Practical tips for organising your days
- During the summer season, access to Pian del Re is subject to a quota. The high-altitude car park costs €10 per day and fills up quickly in the early hours of the morning. Between late June and mid-September, it's best to use the shuttle that leaves from Crissolo, for which you need to book a seat.
- Clouds tend to cover the peak of Monviso regularly in the afternoon hours. For routes like Punta Selassa or the Lakes, your departure should be scheduled before 9:00 in the morning to get clear visibility.
- Those travelling with pets must keep dogs strictly on a lead on the trails so as not to disturb the pastures. Some accommodation and farm stays, such as A Nostro Mizoun, do not allow pets because of the necessary coexistence with livestock guardian dogs.
- Outside the core summer months, many venues in Ostana only open from Thursday to Sunday. Bookings for lunch and dinner should be made a few days in advance to secure a table.
Where to sleep in Ostana
A scattered hotel and eco-relais right in the centre, built from wood and stone, equipped with a private spa.
View on Booking →A panoramic farm offering traditional rooms and unique accommodation inside a yurt.
View on Booking →Unique accommodation allowing you to sleep in a real treehouse, with direct views of the massif.
View on Booking →