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Bike touring routes & trails

Italy

Aosta Valley

Bionaz

Place Moulin Dam – Prarayer Hut loop from Perquis

Routes

Bike touring routes & trails

Italy

Aosta Valley

Bionaz

Place Moulin Dam – Prarayer Hut loop from Perquis

Hard

4.3

(4)

riders

Place Moulin Dam – Prarayer Hut loop from Perquis

02:09

24.4km

620m

Cycling

Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: May 16, 2026

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

1.59 km

Bionaz Giant's Kettle

Highlight • Natural Monument

The Marmitta dei Giganti in Bionaz is a striking cavity carved into the rock that tells of the power of the alpine glaciers. It formed during the last ice age, when meltwaters, laden with sand and stones, channeled into powerful vortices: the debris, rotating ceaselessly, smoothed the rock to create this deep, almost perfectly shaped "pot".

Alongside the scientific explanation, the charm of legend also survives: it is said that giants dug these cavities, using them as containers or leaving their superhuman strength imprinted on them. It is precisely this intertwining of nature and imagination that makes the place so fascinating.

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7.30 km

View of the Place-Moulin Dam

Highlight • Monument

The Place Moulin dam is a majestic arch-gravity dam, designed to make the most of the narrow and incised conformation of the valley. Its concrete structure develops with a slight curvature, which allows the water's thrust to be transferred to the lateral rock walls, reducing direct pressure on the base and ensuring high stability.

With a height of approximately 155 meters and a crest length of over 600 meters, it represents one of the most imposing hydraulic works in the Italian Alps. The artificial basin formed upstream reaches a capacity of over 100 million cubic meters of water, mainly fed by the Buthier stream and glacial meltwater.

The plant is an integral part of a hydroelectric system: the accumulated water is conveyed through penstocks to power plants located downstream, where the head is transformed into energy. The management of levels is regulated by surface and bottom outlets, designed to control both floods and ordinary releases.

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7.66 km

Place Moulin Dam

Highlight • Monument

The Place Moulin dam is a dam in Italy. It stands in a side valley of the Aosta Valley northeast of Aosta in the municipality of Bionaz and there dams the Buthier, a tributary of the Dora Baltea, with an arch dam to form a reservoir. The dam, which was built from 1955 to 1965, was at that time one of the largest dams in the world with a height of 155 m.

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7.99 km

Place Moulin Dam and Lake

Highlight • Lake

After the 8 km climb, the view fully repays you for the effort you just made.
Deep blue water, and breathtaking views.

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8.71 km

Viewpoint

9.34 km

Lago di Place Moulin

Lake

11.4 km

Mountain panorama from the shores of Lake Place-Moulin

Highlight • Viewpoint

From here, there is a beautiful view over the reservoir of the highest dam in Europe.

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12.2 km

Prarayer - Panoramic View

Highlight • Mountain Hut

Il Prarayer is an alpine plateau located at about 2000 meters above sea level, at the end of the Place-Moulin lake.
It is reached by a simple path that runs along the lake, almost always flat.
The environment is open, with meadows, small streams, and some alpine pasture buildings.
The landscape is surrounded by high peaks and glacial environments, clearly visible in the background.
The Rifugio Prarayer is located here, used as a base for longer excursions.
The area is suitable for a quiet break after the walk along the lake.
Itineraries to side valleys and high-altitude routes start from here.
Despite the altitude, the setting remains accessible and not very demanding.

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12.3 km

Prarayer Hut

Highlight • Mountain Hut

The Prarayer refuge is located in the upper Bionaz valley, surrounded by majestic mountains, glaciers, woods, streams and lakes. The Matterhorn Tour passes here. The refuge overlooks a body of water, an artificial lake formed by the waters of the Buthier stream, which flows along the entire Valpelline. This lake is one of the largest in the Aosta Valley and offers spectacular scenery.

The most popular path to reach the refuge is from the south, via a mule track accessible to anyone, which follows the route along the lake. It's perfect for a relaxing, scenic ride, suitable for all levels. If you're looking for a more technical and fun challenge, there are other access routes that are slightly more challenging but equally rewarding.

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14.7 km

Place-Moulin Lake

Highlight • Lake

The Place Moulin dam is the highest in Europe. It offers a beautiful panorama and an easy walk suitable for the whole family. Running here is very easy as the trail is wide enough for everyone.

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Tip by

24.4 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

14.9 km

8.96 km

377 m

104 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

15.2 km

9.06 km

202 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Weather

Thursday 21 May

13°C

6°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 4.0 km/h

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Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.

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Place Moulin Dam – Prarayer Hut loop from Perquis

Bionaz Giant's Kettle

View of the Place-Moulin Dam

Place Moulin Dam

Place Moulin Dam and Lake

Mountain panorama from the shores of Lake Place-Moulin

Prarayer - Panoramic View

Prarayer Hut

Place-Moulin Lake

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