Avigliana Lakes Nature Park

The blue-marked Sentiero lungolago follows Lago Piccolo's bank. Its published walking time is 1 hour 15 minutes, but that is a baseline for the listed itinerary, not today's usable circuit. For a lighter outing, spend time on an open section and return the same way. Coots, mallards and herons are among the birds described for this shore by the park's route guide.

For wheelchair or pushchair use, ask the park which shore-side sections currently have a firm, level approach and where to turn back.

This red-marked walking trail enters the wooded hills around Lago Piccolo. The operator gives 1 hour 45 minutes for the trail. Choose it when you want trees and changing terrain rather than an entirely waterside outing. Chestnut and oak woods support woodland birds and mammals, although seeing them is a matter of patience and chance. Read the official woodland-trail description.

The route involves climbing. Allow extra time for stops and don't treat the diversion as equivalent in effort or accessibility to the shore path.

Follow the yellow-marked marsh trail for a closer look at the habitat beyond the lake. The published walking time is 1 hour 15 minutes. Reeds and sedges give it a different character from open water, while the remains of the Nobel factory provide an unexpected industrial backdrop. This is a good choice if you would rather linger than cover kilometres. Read the official marsh-trail description.

A wetland path can be soft or muddy. No verified all-weather wheelchair specification was found; ask about the particular stretch you intend to use.

The ochre-marked trail climbs gently towards Montecapretto. The operator lists 30 minutes for the trail; allow additional time to reach it and return to your starting point. From above, the lakes, Mareschi and successive morainic hills become easier to read as one landscape. It is a useful alternative to another stretch of shoreline. Read the official Montecapretto description.

Short does not mean level. Choose footwear for an uphill woodland path and leave time to get back to your starting point.

The published Anello dei Laghi is 12 km with 100 m of stated elevation difference and about six hours' walking. Starting at Lago Piccolo's parking area, it combines the two lakes, the marsh and sections towards Borgata Sada, including roads and crossings outside the protected area. It is a broader town-and-landscape walk, not a continuous traffic-free lakeshore promenade. Consult the full official itinerary.

The road crossings and longer commitment make this a different proposition from a short nature stop. The published easy rating does not establish suitability for every mobility need.

Choose the marsh trail if paths are firm enough, or an open shore-side section if you prefer a shorter visit. Keep the walking flexible, leave room for a picnic, and stop while you still have energy for the return. A good view and an unhurried look at the water are enough; the value of this visit isn't in completing a ring on a map.

Use the Sentiero Collinare or Montecapretto as the main walk, then make Avigliana's historic centre a separate stop. The town's squares and medieval buildings provide a change from reeds and woodland. Check the return transport before adding that second visit, especially on a Sunday or outside the shuttle season.

The park's rules prohibit swimming and all boating on Lago Piccolo and in wildlife-protection zones; motorboats are prohibited on Lago Grande. If you want a paddle or swim on the larger lake, check the permitted area, local operator and current restrictions first. Fishing also requires the appropriate licences and is excluded from wildlife-protection zones and the Canale della Naviglia. A watersports advert does not override these rules.

Lago Grande had a cyanobacteria advisory in August 2026, followed by the municipality's report of suitable water for the 13 September swim event. Neither is a current all-clear. At this guide's 19 October check, ARPA said the 2026 bathing-monitoring season had ended on 30 September and would resume in May 2027. Consult the ARPA bathing portal and municipal notices when planning an in-water activity; don't use a historical bulletin as a present-day safety guarantee.

Check Piemonte's official weather-alert information and the park's notices before leaving. If flooding, strong wind or poor footing makes the trails a bad choice, postpone the nature walk. Avigliana's town centre can be a separate alternative when conditions allow, but do not assume the Nobel remains or any monument provide an open indoor shelter.

Look across the open water for Great Crested Grebe, Mallard and Tufted Duck; autumn and winter can also bring Common Pochard. The waterside paths are places to look for Eurasian Coot and Grey Heron, while Common Moorhen uses the reed margins of Mareschi. Stay in one spot for a while: a still visitor is less disruptive than someone repeatedly approaching the water. Numbers and sightings vary, so leave yourself time to enjoy whatever appears.

One of the seasonal highlights is grebes' courtship in late winter and early spring, with later chances to see chicks riding on a parent's back. Enjoy such behaviour from the path with binoculars. Avoid moving closer when a bird changes its behaviour, and never make reaching a nest part of the visit.

The hills are moraines, deposits left by glaciers, and the large erratic boulders are another trace of moving ice. The park describes a boulder-discovery path linking its woods with surrounding territory. If you'd like to follow that separate route, ask the park for its latest signed itinerary before setting out. Wetter woods west of Lago Piccolo contrast with the warmer, drier slopes north of Lago Grande.

The woods and marsh are linked by amphibians' seasonal journeys to breeding water. In 2026 the municipality closed part of Via Grignetto at night from 16 February to 15 March to protect them. Those dates have passed; look for the next campaign's notices rather than assuming the same closure recurs unchanged. Join only currently advertised activities under their booking arrangements, and leave animals undisturbed during an ordinary walk.

The park's facilities list identifies picnic areas near its Via Monte Pirchiriano office and at the FIPS area below Borgata Sada on Lago Piccolo. It also lists an accessible toilet at the FIPS bar, and parking options by Lago Grande at Via Pontetto, Via Prole/Viale dei Mareschi and Piazzale Nino Costa. Treat these as places to enquire about, not guaranteed open services. Confirm toilets, access arrangements and any parking charges before relying on them; bring a cold picnic rather than assuming a barbecue is permitted.

The park office is at Via Monte Pirchiriano 54; telephone +39 011 9313000 for route and access enquiries. Avigliana's tourist information office is at Corso Laghi 389, telephone +39 011 9311873. Check their opening hours before making either office the essential first stop of your day.

Take a regional train to Avigliana; Trenitalia identifies the SFM3 connection from Turin and sells a combined journey to the destination 'Avigliana Laghi'. Check the actual journey date and return connection. Cavourese's 2026 seasonal Sacra di San Michele shuttle serves the lakes on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 4 April to 31 October. That does not establish a daily, year-round lake shuttle. Use the operator's current line 253 timetables for the service that suits your day.

The seasonal shuttle's 2026 timetable lists a €2.80 one-way onboard fare from Avigliana station to the lakes, including the surcharge, and cash-only onboard payment. Trenitalia's combined-ticket page separately lists a €1.80 bus component. Check the price for your chosen product instead of assuming those sales channels are interchangeable. Confirm your lake stop and the onward walk before boarding. If driving, the park brochure gives the A32 Avigliana Est exit as an approach; then choose a signed parking area near the part you want to visit.

Ask about the route from the chosen parking space or bus stop to the actual viewpoint, not just whether an area has an accessible toilet. A toilet listing does not establish opening, an unobstructed entrance or an accessible approach. For a lower-effort visit, consider one open viewing area with the option to return immediately; do not make the hill diversion a necessary part of the outing.

Park information and notices · Park brochure · Lago Piccolo interruption notice · Local tourist information