Why walk up and ride down
Trail 27, the "Antica Strada delle Traverse", is the most direct and most historic way to reach Superga from Turin without an engine: it follows the old road that linked Sassi to the hillside villas and the Basilica, now maintained by the Po Piemontese protected areas. It starts at 225 metres, in front of the tram station, and ends at 670 metres on the Basilica esplanade.
The perfect formula is to walk up and ride the "dentera" down: the Sassi–Superga rack tram, opened on 27 April 1884 and converted to electric rack traction in 1934, is the only rack tramway in Italy. After winter maintenance it resumed service on 3 April 2026, with the historic 1934 D2 car restored in its original livery.
An honest warning: hikers rate the route as difficult, with steep sections, a few unprotected passages and no drinking water until Superga. Nothing technical, though: grippy shoes, water and a bit of fitness are enough.
Route facts
Start: Piazza Gustavo Modena, Sassi (Turin), 225 m — free parking next to the station.
Finish: the esplanade of the Basilica of Superga, 670 m.
Length: 4.7 km per the official park sheet; about 5 km according to user GPS tracks. Ascent: 445 m.
Time: 1 h 55 on foot (park sheet); 1 h 30 – 2 h according to GPS tracks; 40–60 minutes running for trained runners.
Grade: demanding — steep, some unprotected sections, clay surface.
Waymarks: park signage; from Pian Gambino a blue footprint on white; sections shared with trails 28, 29, 60, 62 and with the GTC (red-white-red).
Water: no fountain along the way, carry it from the valley. Bar and restaurant at Superga.
Getting there: from Turin, GTT lines 15, 61 and 68 to Sassi. From Pino Torinese: bus 30 to Turin, then connections to Sassi.
Crowdsourced GPS tracks (AllTrails, Wikiloc) give slightly different figures from the official sheet: we use the park data as our reference.
Stage 1 — Sassi and the hillside villas
You start from Piazza Modena, opposite the tram station. The first few metres are shared with Trail 28, which you leave straight away by taking via Borgofranco on the right, under the rack line and out to the main road for Pino Torinese. A short stretch of pavement along a busy road brings you to the fine gateway of Villa Sassi.
A little further on, a small open space holds the entrances to the Città dei Ragazzi and Villa Capriglio. Continue along Strada del Durio, then turn right and climb steeply onto the Antica Strada delle Traverse.
Stage 2 — The Antica Strada delle Traverse
This is the historic heart of the walk. The road climbs between Villa Martina, Villa Novarese di Moransengo, Villa Cannone and Villa Bocca: summer residences built between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries, when the Superga hill was where Turin's nobility spent the summer. Past a landslip and a chapel you reach Villa Richelmy, abandoned and atmospheric, dating from the seventeenth or eighteenth century.
At a fork you choose between the "road route" and the "adventure route", which climbs the Rio Ravicchio and a steep spur to Strada dei Tetti Bertoglio. The two rejoin higher up, near the Pian Gambino tram stop. The adventure line is nicer but more slippery after rain: on wet ground, take the road variant.
Stage 3 — Pian Gambino and the Costa Parigi valley
At Pian Gambino you enter the former provincial estate and rejoin Route 28. From here the way is marked with a blue footprint on white, a handy reference at the junctions that follow.
The path climbs the ridge, runs briefly alongside the rack line and comes out by an empty house near an underpass. Continue on the level to the left along the track towards the head of the Costa Parigi valley: past a large landslip and a ford, then at some rounded boulders leave the track and climb hard up the spur. It is the steepest part of the route.
Stage 4 — Villa Canale and the final section
Following a fence on a gentle rise you emerge on a dirt road by a couple of abandoned houses. From here the route is shared with trails 29, 60, 62 and with the Grande Traversata della Collina: climbing right you soon reach the gate of Villa Canale, then the former provincial children's institute.
An underpass beneath the rack line leads to Strada Vicinale della Funicolare; you pass the villa where Cristoforo Negri lived and arrive at the upper tram station and then the Basilica esplanade. Routes 26, 27, 29, 50, 59, 60, 62, 65 and 66 all meet here: the crossroads of the whole hill.
Stage 5 — At the top: Basilica, royal tombs, Grande Torino
The Basilica was designed by Filippo Juvarra and built between 1717 and 1731 to fulfil the vow made by Victor Amadeus II on 2 September 1706, on the eve of the battle that freed Turin from the French siege. It is 51 metres long, with a portico of eight Corinthian columns in Gassino marble; the dome reaches 75 metres to the cross. Beneath the church, the Savoy mausoleum arranged between 1773 and 1778 by Francesco Martinez holds the royals from Victor Amadeus II to Charles Albert.
At the rear is the Grande Torino memorial: on 4 May 1949, at 17:03, the aircraft bringing the team home from a friendly in Lisbon crashed in fog into the Basilica's retaining wall. All 31 people on board died.
You can climb to the dome (131 or 137 steps, depending on the source) for the view over Turin and the Alps; it closes in rain, fog or snow. In 2026 the dome ticket costs 4 euros (3 reduced), the Royal Tombs or the Apartments 6 euros (5 reduced). Opening hours and prices change seasonally: check the Basilica website.
Riding the rack tram back down
The rack line covers 3.1 km and 425 metres of height difference, averaging 13.5% and reaching 21% on the final Pian Gambino–Superga stretch. Request stops at 1ª Galleria, Raddoppio and Pian Gambino. The Superga station sits at 650 metres, just below the esplanade.
2026 timetable: from 3 April, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday hourly departures from 10:00 to 18:00 (last from Superga 18:30); Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 9:00 to 20:00 (last from Superga 20:30). Closed on Wednesdays, replaced by bus 79/. The summer timetable, in force from 27 June 2026, is published on the GTT website.
2026 fares: weekdays 4 € single, 6 € return; Saturdays and holidays 6 € and 9 €. Reduced 4 € weekday return for over 65s, accompanied school groups and holders of Torino+Piemonte Card, Abbonamento Musei, annual GTT zone U pass and Junior card.
Bikes: up to 3 on the single car (uphill only), up to 6 on the bike car (also downhill), one single ticket per bike, phone booking advised. Dogs: hikers report that the trail suits dogs and that the tram takes them downhill; confirm the current rules with GTT.
Practical tips
Water. There is no fountain on Trail 27: start with at least a litre each. At Superga you will find a bar, a restaurant and the Basilica café.
When. Spring and autumn are ideal. In summer the route is mostly wooded, but start early. On wet ground the clay turns slippery: wear trail shoes with a firm grip.
Safety. Steep and locally unprotected sections, one landslip and a ford in the Costa Parigi valley. Trails are shared with mountain bikers coming down: keep right on blind stretches.
From the B&B. From Pino Torinese: bus 30 to Turin, then bus 15, 61 or 68 to Sassi. By car, free parking in Piazza Modena. Or climb from Pino along the panoramic ridge road and ride the tram down to Sassi.
Sleeping a few minutes from the trail
Paradise Nature & Wellness sits in Pino Torinese, on the ridge between Turin and the Chieri plain, inside the Superga hill park. Breakfast, free parking and the hills starting at the gate. Message us on WhatsApp for a GPX track or advice on the best start time.
Sources: Po Piemontese protected areas (Trail 27 sheet); GTT (2026 Sassi–Superga tram times and fares); Basilica di Superga and Turismo Torino (2026 hours and tickets). Times, fares and trail conditions change: always check official sites before setting out.
Réservation directe sur WhatsApp, petit-déjeuner et parking inclus.
