This incredible 2,000-kilometre (1,240 mi) journey unites four countries. It retraces the footsteps of the Waldensians who, together with the Huguenots, were imprisoned, persecuted, deported and exiled in Geneva. After two years of living on the shores of the Swiss lake, they regained their freedom by being repatriated to the Piedmontese valleys.
‘The roads of the Waldensians and Huguenots’ is an international cultural itinerary that follows the path that the Protestants of Dauphiné and Piedmont followed during the religious persecutions of the 17th century.

This hiking route, certified by the Council of Europe as a ‘European Cultural Route’, reveals the cultural heritage of the exiles and their economic and social history. You’ll also discover a beautiful natural landscape and taste the diverse cuisine.

The itinerary has three sections: ‘Prisonry’, ‘Exile’ and ‘Glorious Repatriation’, which follow the history of the Waldensians. After their persecution and exile, the Waldensians organised what is still called the Glorious Repatriation from Nernier to the Pellice, Germanasca and Chisone valleys, to take back the lands that were taken from them.

This Collection is dedicated to the first part of the Waldensians’ troubled history – to the imprisonment of the people who were deported from the Pellice, Germanasca and Chisone valleys to the Savoy prisons between the upper Saluzzo plain and the Po.

I’ve divided these first 40 kilometres (25 mi) into two stages, which you can adjust as you like. They lead mostly downhill from Bobbio Pellice to Villafranca Piemonte, with only a few easy climbs. The journey takes you across lush woodlands and along the Pellice River. You’ll also pass through symbolic places such as Bobbio and Torre Pellice, Luserna and its prisons, and Cavour and its fortress.

To reach the start at Bobbio Pellice, catch the bus from Pinerolo. Villafranca Piemonte, the end point, has good public transport connections to other Piedmontese centres such as Saluzzo and Pinerolo. You can follow this itinerary year round, although spring and summer have the best temperatures.

The area doesn’t have many accommodation options, so I recommend booking where you’ll stay in advance. You’ll find plenty of refreshments in the shops, local farmhouses, taverns and restaurants on the way.

Like other historical paths, you can pick up a passport to certify that you’ve completed the route. It includes information, points of interest and where to collect your stamps. You can get your stamp book at the Waldensian Cultural Center Foundation’s headquarters or online on the Cammino website, lestradedeivaldesi.com/en.

Pack your rucksack and set off on an adventure in Val Pellice on the Waldensian roads.