Liguria, Piedmont & the Italian Riviera - Italy - page 431

sculpted with putti (cherubs) pulling each other's hair. To reach the abbey, get off at
Sant'Ambrogio station and hike up a steep path for 1½ hours. Alternatively, there's a spe-
cial bus from Avigliana train station six times a day from May to September. Concerts are
held on Saturday evenings in summer; ask for details at the tourist office in Avigliana (pop-
ulation 10,500), 12km west.
A Druid well remains as testimony to the Celtic origins of Susa (population 6580, eleva-
tion 503m) before it fell under the Roman Empire's sway. Susa's Roman ruins make for
an interesting stop on the way to the western ski resorts. In addition to the remains of a
Roman aqueduct , a still-used amphitheatre and the triumphal Arco d'Augusto (dating from 9
BC), you can visit the town's early-11th-century cathedral .
Also worth a brief stop is the forbidding Forte di Exilles ( www.fortediexilles.com ; admission
€10/8; 10am-7pm Tue-Sun Apr-Sep, to 2pm Oct-Mar) , overlooking the quiet village of Exilles,
15km west of Susa. Its military role only ended in 1943.
Activities
Skiing
The prestigious Via Lattea ( www.vialattea.it ) ski domain embraces 400km of pistes and five
interlinked ski resorts: Sestriere (2035m), Sauze d'Oulx (1509m), Sansicario (1700m),
Cesana Torinese (1350m) and Claviere (1760m) in Italy; and Montgenèvre (1850m) in
neighbouring France. Its enormous range of slopes and generally reliable snow conditions
provide for skiers and boarders of all abilities. A single daily ski pass costing €34 covers
the entire Milky Way, including the French slopes.
Built in the 1930s by the Agnelli clan of Fiat fame, Sestriere (population 885) ranks
among Europe's most glamorous ski resorts due to its enviable location in the eastern
realms of the vast Milky Way ski area.
The tourist offices have mountains of information on every conceivable summer and
winter sport, including heli-skiing, bobsledding, golfing on Europe's highest golf course,
walking, free-climbing and mountain biking.
Cross-country skiing in the area is centred on Bardonecchia (population 3084, elevation
1312m), the last stop in Italy before the Fréjus Tunnel.
Hiking