Hike to the millstones of Valmeriana

The walk begins from the hamlet of Cloutraz, along the dirt road, following the signpost no. 1 towards Mount Barbeston; walking a little on the dirt road and a little on the path, in a beautiful forest of conifers, larches, fir and birch trees, you will arrive at the Valmeriana pasture after approximately 1,30 hours. The view from here is magnificent, ecompassing the Matterhorn, Breithorn and the entire Monte Rosa massif as well as Mount Zerbion.

Nearby, an illustrative panel shows the start of the Millstones Tour (average duration of the ring: 1,30 hours).

Follow the path to Bellecombe, signpost no. 3. After a short hike you can see the first millstone, still attached to the boulder, a few metres below the track, its diameter about 60 cm and its thickness 20 cm. Below it you can see another fragment of a millstone; about twenty steps ahead you can see the stone of the sofa, from which four millstones have been extracted. Its name stems from the grooves left by removing the millstones, which resemble the pillows of a sofa. Another, detached, but not finished millstone can also be found and it is rich in red crystals. Note that some of them lie abandoned in the woods, alongside the path. Continue along the route until you return to the path towards Bellecombe and, following a track that goes up to the right, you reach the cave of the three entrances, a partially natural cave used for the extraction of the millstones. Also worthy of note is a large boulder renamed the planetarium from which a few dozen millstones have probably been extracted. (text taken from navillod.it)

The complete itinerary takes approximately 4,30/5 hours (return) and it is recommended for good walkers.

During the summer, guided excursions to discover the millstones are organized: participants have then the opportunity to considerably shorten the duration of the walk, arriving at the Valmeriana pasture with their car, after 8 km of dirt road.