autumn
Abandoned train tracks in Annecy & Tunnel de la Puya
The railway line from Annecy to Albertville started operating in 1901 and closed to passenger traffic in 1938. Freight traffic kept running until 1964 when it shut down for good. In 1975, parts of the line on the west side of Lake Annecy were converted into a bike path: The Voie Verte du Lac d’Annecy. More of the line (until Ugine, near Albertville) was converted later in 2005. However, some of the rails in Annecy, west of the train station until a bit before Tunnel de la Puya (under the Semnoz), still remain. There is also a section of abandoned tracks in the Zone Industrielle de Vovray that used to be connected to the old Annecy-Albertville line.
I walked alongside those train tracks last fall: First, I walked from the train station to the ends of the train tracks in Vovray. Some parts were fenced off so I had to walk around. Some other time, I went back to the place where the line branched off towards Albertville and followed its course until Tunnel de la Puya, which was walled off. I walked on the Semnoz to get to the other side, in Sevrier. The exit of the tunnel was still open. I walked a little in the tunnel from there, but it was pretty dark so I didn’t go very far.
Hike from Poisy to Cran-Gevrier: Gorges du Fier, Parc Altaïs, Parcours Nature Fier et Erbe, Cercle de l'Eau
Last fall, I walked from Poisy to Cran-Gevrier near Annecy, passing through Gorges du Fier, Parc Altaïs, Parcours Nature Fier et Erbe and Cercle de l’Eau.
Hike to Crêt de la Dame
Last fall, I went on a hike to Crêt de la Dame, a small mountain near Pont de la Caille.
Tower observatory of the Turin Cathedral
The Turin Cathedral (Duomo di Torino or Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista) is a church in Turin built at the end of the 15th century. It hosted the Shroud of Turin from 1578, when it was moved from the Holy Chapel (Sainte Chapelle) in Chambéry, to 1649, when the Chapel of the Holy Shroud (Cappella della Sacra Sindone) next door was completed. It currently hosts it again since the fire of the chapel in 1997.
The cathedral has a bell tower (Torre campanaria), separate from the main body, which can be visited. It is quite high (63 m) and offers a great view on the city of Turin and the surrounding mountains. Tickets can be purchased at the entrance of the Diocesan Museum of Turin (Museo Diocesano di Torino), on the other side of the cathedral from the tower. After that, there is an underground passage to reach the tower then stairs to get to the top.
Avigliana
After visiting Susa, I stopped in Avigliana on the way back to Turin: It is a town located at the mouth of the Susa Valley, half-way between Susa and Turin. It has a medieval town (Borgo Vecchio) which still retains some buildings of that era and is overlooked by a castle in ruins (Castello di Avigliana), with a great view on the Medieval Town, the Susa Valley, the surrounding mountains and the Avigliana Lakes Natural Park.
Susa
While staying in Turin, I also made a short trip to Susa, a town located towards the border with France. Susa is right below the mountains so it was a nice change of scenery from the city. During Roman and medieval times, the town was the main entry point into Italy from France and still has many ancient historical buildings.
I went there early in the morning, taking one of the frequent trains running from Porta Nuova in Turin, and strolled around for a few hours.
Parco Dora
Parco Dora is a large park in Turin designed by Latz+Partner and built on a former industrial wasteland, occupied in the past by factories that shut down in the 80’s. Its construction was part of an urban renewal programme launched in the late 90’s. The park was completed in 2012.
The park is characterized by its industrial past and spatially defined by the river Dora, by main traffic arteries and relatively new residential quarters. Corresponding to the former property lines the park has five separate areas whose functional differences and aesthetic impact are based on the quality of the industrial remains. Bridges, stairs and ramps connect the different parts of the park with each other and with the surrounding quarters.
Porta Palatina
The Palatine Gate (Porta Palatina) is a Roman Age (1st century AD) city gate located in Turin, that used to provide access through the city walls from the North side.
Torino 2006 Winter Olympics: Olympic Arch, Olympic Village, Palavela
Turin held the 2006 Winter Olympics, although the mountains are not that close to the city: Ice-based sports were staged in the metropolitan centre, with snow-based events in the mountain regions. For the occasion, a number of buildings and infrastructures were built or refurbished. This includes the Olympic Arch and footbridge, as well as the Olympic Village, both built in the Lingotto neighbourhood of Turin. I also passed by the Palavela arena in the same area near Giardino Corpo Italiano di Liberazione.