Visit to Susa (Italy)

Visit to Italy from La-Norma-Chalet 96 In the middle of our autumn week in La Norma, we crossed to Italy for a day, to the town of Susa. You can do this by car from La Norma in two ways, via the toll road and through the Fréjus tunnel or over the pass at Val Cénis. We did the latter, not only because the toll road is quite pricey, but because we fancied a nice drive through the mountains. The weather was beautiful, so conditions were ideal. This pass closes in winter and is then put into use on the French side as a snow slope. So if you want to do this ride in autumn, check the website: https://www.france-voyage.com/cities-towns/val-cenis-29645/pass-mont-cenis-28160.htm. We left early, because in this part of France and also in Italy all shops close between noon and 2pm. There is a nice market on Tuesday mornings, but we were there on a Wednesday. As mentioned, the drive to it (about 1 hour and 15 minutes) was breathtakingly beautiful. The first snow had already fallen at 3,000 metres and against the azure sky, it stood out beautifully. The road was passable, especially on the French side. On the Italian side, the road is slightly narrower and more winding, but still doable. On the way, you pass Lac Val Cénis (at an altitude of 2,000 metres), a beautiful reservoir with a deep shade of blue. You are not allowed to swim in it because of the dam that discharges water into the lake, which can cause dangerous undercurrents.

But the lake also lends itself to a nice walk along it with a nice climb here and there over the rocks along the shore. Fun with children, but certainly also with a dog. Arriving in Susa, you immediately notice that you are in Italy. Everywhere the streets are slightly busier with people; it seems as if people here are more out and about than in some villages in France. On the square we enjoyed a delicious cappuccino. Then we had a nice city walk, looking at the Roman remains of the town. There is a Roman city gate, a road with original stones and an arena. As mentioned, we were there on a day when there was no market, so with about 2 hours you can have a good look around the town, see also this website: https://www.tripadvisor.nl/Attractions-g1078069-Activities-Susa_Province_of_Turin_Piedmont.html After noon, the pizzeria restaurants do stay open, so finishing with a delicious lunch can be one of the options. We had a wonderful day with beautiful weather. Should the weather be less beautiful, we think this tour would be slightly less suitable at this time of year. But in the La-Norma-Chalet area, fortunately, there are more beautiful than bad days in all seasons.