The Salt Road, from Limone to the Colle di Tenda
Between the Maritime and Ligurian Alps, from Limone Piemonte toward the sea, an ancient trade route on ridge-top dirt tracks. Travelled slowly on foot or by bike among abandoned military forts, it is a spectacular border line that few know about.
Foto: Andrea Levico (CC BY 3.0) — Wikimedia Commons
For centuries salt travelled from the Ligurian coast toward the valleys of Piedmont along mule tracks and ridge paths: these were the Salt Roads, arteries of trade that linked the sea to the mountains. One of them, today among the most fascinating, climbs from Limone Piemonte up to the alpine watershed and continues along the crest that divides Piedmont from Liguria and France. It is a high-altitude route little known compared to the celebrated summer destinations, and yet it offers double views over the sea and the Alps, crossing a landscape dotted with abandoned military forts that tell the story of a contested border.
The ridge route
The natural starting point is Limone Piemonte, in the upper Vermenagna Valley, from which you climb toward the Colle di Tenda. Here, on the old historic pass between Italy and France, are the remains of the Forte Centrale and a ring of fortifications built to defend the pass: enormous stone structures, now silent, overlooking the void. From here the ridge road, once military and today a dirt track, continues at altitude following the watershed. Along the way you come across other forts, such as those in the area of the Colle della Boaria and the surrounding peaks, and you move astride the two slopes: on one side the gaze runs toward the Piedmont plain and the Maritime Alps, on the other, on clear days, you can glimpse the Ligurian Sea. It is this feeling of walking suspended between sea and mountains that makes the Salt Road unique.
On foot or by mountain bike
The route lends itself to two ways of experiencing it. On foot, for those who want to savour every step and stop to explore the forts, with the option of spreading the itinerary over several days, relying on the refuges and stopping points in the area. By mountain bike, for those who prefer to cover more kilometres of ridge: the Ligurian-Piedmontese Salt Road is indeed much loved by high-altitude cyclists. In both cases these are dirt roads and uneven surfaces, to be tackled with proper equipment and trained legs.
To reach it, you get to Limone Piemonte easily, even by train on the line that climbs the Vermenagna Valley toward the border. From Limone you go up toward the Colle di Tenda, where the ridge section begins. It should be remembered that some high-altitude roads in the area are subject to motor-access regulations, designed precisely to protect the environment and favour those who go slowly: it is worth checking the rules and permitted periods in advance. There are no continuous supply points on the ridges, so water and provisions must be planned with care.
When to go
The best time is early summer and early autumn. June offers green ridges, blossoms and long days; September brings crisp air, wide visibility over the sea and ideal temperatures for the effort at altitude. These are also the months that avoid both the heart of the summer tourist season and the first snowfalls. The Salt Road, though beloved by enthusiasts, never knows the crowds of the coastal resorts or the more commercial valleys: here you meet hikers and cyclists, not tour groups, and on weekdays the solitude of the ridge is almost total. At altitude the weather changes fast, and the mist rising from the sea can wrap the crest in a matter of minutes.
The forts and caution
A practical tip: give the forts your time, don't just pass through them. They are powerful places, where the military history of a border can be read in the stone, and they deserve a slow stop, perhaps with a torch to safely explore the accessible spaces. Always check the forecast before heading up onto the ridge, because here the mist and wind are no small matter. Carry warm layers even in summer and calculate the distances honestly, especially on a bike. The Salt Road rewards those who travel it with the pace of the wayfarers of old: slow, attentive, able to gaze at the sea and the mountains in the very same instant.
Practical guides for Como
Practical info
When is the best time to visit The Salt Road?
The recommended time is June and September, when it is less crowded.
Where is The Salt Road?
The Salt Road is located in Maritime and Ligurian Alps, from Limone Piemonte toward the sea, Italy.
