Post tour

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From Saturday 17 June to Tuesday 20 June
Post-symposium excursion in ultramafic areas of North-Western Internal Alps, Valle d’Aosta and Piemonte, Italy
Departure on 17 June from Nancy (France)
Return on 20 June from Torino Airport (Italy)

Saturday 17 June
1st stop: Saint Vincent

Serpentine area of the ‘Roman Bridge-Tsailleun’ Geosite (Saint Vincent, 560-700 m a.s.l.), with a rich xerothermic (pseudo-steppe) vegetation, including Alyssum argenteum and Notholaena maranthae, alternating with vineyards and ancient cereal fields ‘suspended’ between the serpentinite outcrops. Travel from Nancy to Saint Vincent. In the evening, we’ll reach the village of Champoluc (Val d’Ayas), at the feet of Monte Rosa where we have dinner and sleep at a/some hotels.

Sunday 18 June
2nd stop: The Verra Grande Glacier forefield (ca. 2200 m asl, Val d’Ayas)

A moraine chronosequence where soil development and vegetation succession can be seen. The limiting conditions caused by pure serpentinite are particularly visible, and even small amounts of P-richer gneiss shape soil development and primary succession in a very short time. We will see the primary vegetation succession and associated soils from pioneer communities on fresh moraine tills to subalpine forest (climax conditions), with a rich set of serpentine endemics like Cardamine plumieri, Noccaea sylvia and Carex fimbriata. We will spend another night in Champoluc.

Sunday 19 June
3rd stop: Around the Lanzo Peridotite Massif

After leaving Champoluc in the morning after breakfast, we will exit Aosta Valley to reach the Metropolitan area of Torino. We’ll visit the Riserva Naturale Madonna della Neve sul Monte Lera (1350 m; Royal Park network). This lies in the Lanzo Peridotite Massif, generated in an ocean-continent transition context and still preserving slightly serpentinized peridotites. Here, the mixed mesophilous forest develops on a lherzolite substrate and this is the sole site of the serpentine endemic Euphorbia gibelliana. Soils nearby (Varisella) show an impressive development and “lateritic” crusts are common on the river banks, as evidences of past climates.

Monday 20 June
4th stop: Balangero

On the last day, we’ll visit the northern part of the Lanzo Massif and, particularly, the abandoned chrysotile mine of Balangero and Corio (550-890 m), the former largest asbestos mine in Western Europe, where mining activities stopped in 1990. The horizontal terraces of the open mine pit still host a pioneer vegetation, including hyperaccumulators, while a remarkable plant cover developed on the huge deposits of mine tailing, which underwent to hydrogeological stabilization and revegetation interventions. After the visit, we will reach the Airpost in Caselle or we will travel back to Nancy, which we will reach in the evening.

Nights of 17 to 19 June, 2023 - Hotel Helena or Hotel Champoluc

Hotel Elena***
Address : Via Biavaz, 2 11027 Saint-Vincent (AO), Valle d’Aosta, Italia
Website: https://www.hotelelena.be/en/

In the heart of the Aosta Valley, Hotel Elena awaits you with its 44 rooms and its elegant structure in a unique location. The Perosino Demichelis family, together with all the staff, will be able to give you advice and suggestions to make your stay even more exciting. You cannot miss the opportunity to venture out to discover an area rich in cultural resources and natural treasures.

Hotel Champoluc***
Address: Route Ramey 65, 11020 Champoluc, Ayas (AO) Valle d’Aosta, Italia
Website: https://www.hoteldechampoluc.it/

Thanks to its convenient and strategic position, the Hotel de Champoluc (1565 m. altitude) is the perfect base for your holidays at the foot of Monte Rosa. The structure, equipped with a practical internal and external paid parking, is in fact located a stone's throw from the main lift of the MonterosaSki area: thanks to the gondola lift you can reach the locality of Crest (at an altitude of 2000 meters) in just a few minutes, the ideal starting point for your winter and summer holidays. The hotel is also just a few minutes away from all the main services and attractions of the town: less than 300 meters away you can find a wonderful playground, an adventure park surrounded by nature, a golf course, the Friday market, happy hour venues, pharmacies and supermarkets along with a wide selection of shops.

Nights of 19 to 20 June, 2023 - Hotel Galant

Hotel Galant***
Address: Corso Garibaldi, 155 - 10078 - Venaria Reale (TO), Italy
Website: https://www.hotelgalant.it/en/home-hotel-turin-royal-palace-venaria

Galant Hotel Turin is a three-star hotel, which was designed and built to meet the needs of the most demanding customers. The hotel’s property, that has been working in the hospitality branch for decades , has created a warm, homely and elegant atmosphere. The reception staff is always glad to offer any help to ensure the best possible stay and stands for high professionalism and courtesy. At Galant Hotel Turin we don’t want to give you only a simple stay, but we work hard to offer you an unforgettable experience.