Bagni di Vinadio free pools

About Bagni di Vinadio free pools

Bagni di Vinadio is a small hamlet in the Stura valley, in the province of Cuneo, at about 1,300 metres in the Maritime Alps, a few kilometres from the French border. It's famous for its sulphurous waters, among the hottest in Italy, which rise from several springs fed by basins at 2,400-2,600 metres and have supplied a historic spa for centuries.

According to the official page of the municipality of Vinadio, the spa is temporarily closed. Opposite the complex, however, several guides mention a few small outdoor tubs, made by hand and fed by the sulphur springs, where you can bathe for free. On OpenStreetMap the spot is marked as Pozze di Vinadio, a natural hot spring.

We have classified this place as "to be checked" to be transparent: we found no official source describing the pools, nor any reliable figure for the temperature. The guides we consulted warn that temperature and flow change with the seasons and with the stream's floods, and that in the mountains snow and landslides can make access difficult. Before you go, it's worth asking the municipality or locals in the valley.

If you find them accessible, it's an experience you won't forget: a soak in sulphurous water in the open air, surrounded by the mountains of the Stura valley. Remember that the spring water can be very hot: always test it with your hand and choose spots where it has already cooled. There are no facilities, so bring a towel, warm clothes and drinking water, and leave the tubs exactly as you found them.

Because of the altitude, the mountain terrain and the uncertainty about temperatures, the pools are not suitable for small children. The best period is from June to October; in winter the valley is snowbound and access may be impossible.

The area is an excellent starting point for hikes to Lake San Bernolfo and the mountain huts of the Maritime Alps, and further down the valley you can visit Forte Albertino in Vinadio, an imposing 19th-century fortress. If you've visited the pools recently, tell us what they were like: you'll help us remove the "to be checked" from this page.