The best traffic-free bike rides around Luserna San Giovanni

The station has been completely restored and is very, very beautiful.

At the entrance to the village, on the road to Rorà, a tiny chapel, still active for worship, has become wedged in the village's industrial development: behind the chapel stands the Pontevecchio plant, which bottles some of the most popular mineral waters in Turin and its province (and beyond). The juxtaposition of ancient cults and modern production offers a slightly disorienting but certainly fascinating sight. Opposite the chapel, a small rest area with benches and a drinking water point - which we can imagine is supplied by the same springs that are bottled nearby (more likely it comes from the aqueduct, but let's not split hairs).

In via Cavour in Luserna Alta, an ancient wash house, fed by a canal (still active) and sheltered by a slate roof. Beside it, a children's play area. The structure has been restored and cleaned thanks also to the intervention of local schoolchildren, an intervention told by a sign on site. Nice point of interest.

Piazza della chiesa parrocchiale di San Giacomo, behind which is the structure of the old covered market. On the access road, two beautiful murals reproducing a late 17th-century plan of Luserna, and a late 19th-century photo. All around the square, ancient palaces, from the 15th-century Palazzo Parrocchiale to the Palazzo dei Conti di Luserna. Worth visiting.

Wooden-floored bridge over the old road from Torre Pellice to Luserna Alta. In theory it is a drivable bridge, but the 1 t weight limit found on the Torre Pellice side makes it effectively a cycle-pedestrian bridge. (Strangely, the same limit is not found on the opposite side, where the 4.5 t limit remains.) The bridge provides access to the old road, which allows you to get from Torre Pellice to Luserna Alta avoiding the provincial road - at the cost of a couple of very, very impactful ramps, but offering in return a stretch with a stunning view of the lower valley and the distant plain.

The historical heart of the Waldensian faith. A simple and austere temple, like all Protestant temples: here one comes to pray, not to show off that we are richer than our neighbors. Nevertheless, the structure is very beautiful. Panoramic position, with a beautiful view of the valley (and of the Catholic church further down). The fountain in front of the entrance is beautiful and convenient. The WC (always open) on the valley side is also convenient. Access to the structure is protected by a small gate, which is however always open - remember to close it after passing. [Attention upon entering on the right: currently (May 2026) one of the retaining walls of the embankment has collapsed, and the terrace towards the mountain is widely roped off, you can barely pass.] The actual temple, however, is normally closed, because it's fine to trust, but there's a limit. The tombstones on the walls of the entrance vestibule are interesting. You really breathe an air of a sacred place, which I have found in few other places.

When Edmondo de Amicis found himself writing a (beautiful) chapter on Torre Pellice, he titled it "The Geneva of Italy". And perhaps he could not have found a better title. It truly feels like being in Switzerland, for the order, the cleanliness, and especially the silence: I don't know what's in the air, but even the people at the bar chat in hushed tones. It's a town that lives in its own dimension, perhaps brought by the Waldensian religion - or perhaps the Waldensian religion has molded itself to the characteristics of what is its capital, who knows. In any case, absolutely worth visiting.

Very easy route suitable for everyone