West of Turin: Sousse Valley
The international road from Turin to France passes through the main ski resorts of the region and the Sousse Valley. The only important monument near Turin is the powerful, fortified Abbey of Sacra di San Michele, located on top of a rocky hill. Sousse herself, to which the side railway route leads, was once a small Roman town and has remained small to this day. You can stop here, but nothing makes you stay longer.
Sacra di San Michele
At a distance of half an hour by train from Turin is AVIGLIANA. This rather ugly town is connected to the Sacra di San Michele Abbey by a fairly rare bus. If you like walking, it's best to get off at the next station, In SANT' AMBROGIO, a tiny village at the foot of San Michele Hill. From Sant' Ambrogio to the abbey you go steeply uphill 1-1.5 Hours.
And it's worth a walk, both for beautiful views, as well as the atmosphere of the monastery surroundings causing a slight thrill. To the abbey lead carved in the rock Scalone dei Morti (The stairs of the dead). Formerly, the bodies of deceased monks were placed on them, so that the local peasants could pay their respects. This gloomy atmosphere persists in the abbey itself. The Romanesque entrance gate is decorated with the signs of the zodiac, and the monastery church is kept in an unremarkable one, but to remind oneself of various amazing tales of the Gothic-Romanesque style.
Susa or 25 kilometers away, deeper in the valley, is located in SUSA. It is quite enjoyable, though a rather neglected old town. You can stay here for the night, mainly due to the very cheap hotel Rosa, Via Roma 46 (• 0122/2470), where double rooms cost just 10000 L (it is better to reserve a place by phone in advance). If this hotel has no rooms available, a reasonable alternative is twice as expensive, but still the cheap hotel Sole in Piazza IV Novembre ( 0122/2474).
Unlike most of the territory of Italy controlled by the Romans, western Piedmont along with Susa was under the rule of the Gauls. The most famous Gallic leader, Cottius, he was highly respected by the Romans and therefore could obtain favorable conditions for a peaceful neighborhood from them. There are a number of Gallic-Roman remains in the city center. Piazza San Guisto is also one of them, where there is a magnificent defensive gate. The Romanesque Cattedrale next door has a beautiful bell tower, but the frescoes placed on the walls are the most interesting: Crucifixion and Entry into Jerusalem. The Arco di Augusto rises slightly above the square, built by Cottius in honor of the Roman Emperor Augustus. The top of the arch is decorated with a frieze, towering over the little one, a park surrounding the remains of Roman baths. Additional information on the ancient origins of the city can be obtained from the museum (VII and VIII Wed-Sun. 9.30-12.30, Wed, Sb. i nd. too 14.00-17.00; IX-VI wt.-sb. 9.30-12.30, thurs. and sb. too 14.00-17.00). It is housed in a neglected medieval castle above the town.
Ski resorts in Piedmont
Not far from the French border are Piedmont's main ski sports resorts. Snow is not always good there and the resorts sometimes close even in the middle of the season. In defense against adverse weather, the Sestriere centre recently purchased Europe's largest artificial snow production machine.
Of the many ski resorts, the most famous are: Bardonecchia, Sauze d'Oulx and Sestriere. BARDONECCHIA is modern, has a small, rather similar to shelters, Hotels. It is popular with tourists skiing during weekends. Located a little further south, large SAUZE D'OULX, referred to as Alpine Benidorm, except for a few winding old streets it is generally ugly, and lift passes are expensive (171000 L per week). On the other hand, this place attracts crowds of young Britons, who seem to believe in the effectiveness of skiing as a cure for a hangover. SESTRIERE connected by an extract from Sauze d'Oulx, was the favorite center of Mussolini and Agnelli. The latter wanted to give it an elite character (young and "beautiful" aristocrats were to go there). Because he was also aware of the rapidly growing tourism industry, it was anecdotal to put pressure on the builders of the resort, that they place the sinks high enough, to prevent "ordinary tourists" from urinating in them. Today, the town, situated at the top of a mighty mountain, is dominated by two cylindrical towers belonging to Club Med.. The Sestriere is rather overly developed and apart from the new snow cannon, there is nothing interesting about it.