The old transhumance routes, trodden by passing herds of livestock, long connected territories and humans alike.
GR®69 La Routo® invites you to take to these often forgotten routes, in the footsteps of transhumant herds, and acquaint yourself with their history and a practice still very much alive today: transhumance!
Accredited as a Long-Distance Hiking Trail by the Fédération française de randonnée pédestre (French Hiking Federation) in June 2020, GR®69 La Routo® connects the Camargue and Crau Plains to the Stura Valley. The trail is implemented and facilitated by the Maison de la transhumance and the Unione Montana Valle Stura (Italian Piedmont), with support from numerous partners either side of the Maddalena Pass (Colle della Maddalena), enabling hikers to acquaint themselves with the various aspects of transhumant livestock farming.
As they make their way along the trail, hikers get to identify all the past and present signs indicative of the practice of pastoralism: the many amenities created for transhumant herds (raised stones, low walls, rest areas, bridges and fountains), emblematic pastoral landscapes shaped by sheep’s teeth, and the tasty products resulting from pastoralism and its knowhow.
