Bella Baita Bed and Breakfast - Piedmont

Bella Baita Italian Alps Mountain Retreat is a bed and breakfast in a peaceful mountain setting. Bella Baita is in the Val Chisone west of Turin, off the beaten tourist path.

At Bella Baita you can experience rural Italian life and hospitality and see charming small villages and towns with few tourists. Bella Baita is surrounded by excellent hiking trails so it's a great place for the avid hiker. You can drive to a nearby train station and take the train into Turin. Or if you just want to relax, it's a great place do that, too.

The best reason to go to Bella Baita is really it's wonderful owners, Marla and Fabrizio (both speak English). They go out of their way to make sure that you have a memorable stay and get to do the kinds of things you want to do. They're also excellent cooks and offer the opportunity to have cooking seminars or to join them for a home-cooked Italian dinner. This gives guests a chance not only to have a great meal but to spend some time talking with Marla and Fabrizio, who love to talk about the Val Chisone and offer suggestions about where to go and what to do.

From Bella Baita there are spectacular mountain views. On clear days, the view extends to the French border. There's a small garden for relaxing. The attached restaurant also serves dinner and guests can have use of a shared kitchen so there are several dining options without having to drive. The ample breakfast usually includes delicious home-baked breads or sweets and local organic food along with the view from the balcony or dining room. There's even free wireless internet access.

Some Chisone Valley villages and ski resorts were used during the 2006 Winter Olympics. When it's not ski season, there are abundant hiking opportunities in the Val Chisone and nearby Val Germanasca. The Val Chisone has one of the largest fortresses in Europe, villages with painted murals, a microbrewery and historic towns. Here are a few of the Val Chisone highlights:

• Museum Abitare in Valle is a very interesting museum of traditional rural life from the past including furniture, household items, and farming implements from the area. It's in Pinasca, the town at the foot of the road to Bella Baita.
• Pinerolo is a good-sized town with arcaded streets, shops, cafes, an unusual Duomo, and a small historic center. There's a large market in town on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
• Fenestrelle Fortress, built from 1728-1837, is a huge fortress going 535 meters uphill with a length of 3 kilometers. The buildings are connected by a unique covered stairway with nearly 4000 steps, only accessible with a tour (1, 3, or 8 hour tours are available, usually in Italian only).
• Usseaux is a picturesque village with murals painted on its walls. There's a good view of Fenestrelle Fortress from the village.
• Lago dell'Laux is a lake with good views and a great restaurant serving typical regional food - lots of polenta variations and good pasta.
• Sestiere is a ski area. It's chair lifts operate in July and August providing opportunity for some great mountain views and hiking. Sestiere has Europe's highest golf course, too.

See our Val Chisone Pictures.

The nearby Germanasca Valley is easy to reach from Bella Baita, too. At the end of the scenic road into the mountains is Prali, a town surrounded by beautiful meadows with an altitude of 1450 meters. Prali is a popular winter ski resort with ski lifts, ski rentals and a skiing school. The ski lifts operate in summer, too, allowing access to the 13 Lakes area and some beautiful mountain hiking trails. On the way to Prali are the Scopriminiera talc mine, waterfalls, and the town of Salza di Pinerolo with painted murals and summer rock concerts.

The Germanasca Valley was part of the route taken by the Waldensians from Lake Geneva in Switzerland in 1689 to return to their homeland which they had left due to religious persecution. There are several places to see reminders of the Waldensian past along the Strade dei Valdesi, including a museum of Waldensian life housed in a Waldensian temple in Prali. (Read more about the Waldensians on Wikipedia)

The more famous Valle di Susa is a little farther but can still be visited as a day trip from Bella Baita. The Valle di Susa has ski resorts and lifts, a fort, an ethnographic museum, vineyards, and the Gran Bosco Natural Park.

Continuing on the road through Val Chisone past Sestiere, it's possible to reach Briancon, France. Between Sestiere and Briancon are several small villages.

Bella Baita Italian Alps Mountain Resort has inexpensive rooms with private entrance and bath, most with views of the mountains. It's also possible to bring your own tent and camp. The guest kitchen has a refrigerator, stove, TV, and DVD player with DVDs. Best of all, bed and breakfast includes personalized, friendly service to make your stay memorable.

Bella Baita Italian Alps Mountain Retreat
Borgata Serre Marchetto 1
10060 Pinasca (TO) Italia
+39 347 984 2945 / +39 339 750 3940
info@BellaBaita.com

Getting to Bella Baita
You'll probably want a car at Bella Baita. Be sure to follow the directions given carefully (don't trust your GPS if you have it). Bella Baita is 6km up the road from the town of Pinasca.
From Turin's Caselle Airport, it's about an hour drive. Car rentals are available at the airport.
Coming by train from Turin, the closest station is in Pinerolo. From Pinerolo there is bus service to Pinasca at the foot of the road leading to Bella Baita. It's 6km up the hill from there but with prior arrangement, the owners will pick you up in Pinasca (see our Val Chisone Map).

_{As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary accommodations for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. See our ethics policy.}