Crava-Morozzo Nature Reserve

About twenty kilometres north-east of Cuneo and easy to reach by bike, lies the wonderful Crava-Morozzo Nature Reserve, which protects one of the most important wetland environments in southern Piedmont.

Entrance is free and access to the reserve is only allowed on foot, bike or horseback. It is a truly unique visitor experience, with great expanses of water, varieties of birds, fish, giant poplars and centuries-old oaks that here have their ideal habitat. Because of its wealth of fauna, before it became a Nature Reserve, this area, which takes in the municipalities of Morozzo, Rocca de’ Baldi and Mondovì, was already protected in 1979 as a LIPU Oasis. The artificial lakes of Crava and Morozzo were built in 1929 for hydroelectric purposes (today they are two state-of-the-art power stations) and gradually became an ideal resting place for many migratory birds from the Mediterranean area. The richness of the different wetland environments has favoured the settlement of numerous animal species, to the extent that about one hundred and fifty species of birds have been recorded to date. Along the banks of the River Pesio you may glimpse, among others, kingfishers, white-throated dippers, cormorants, mallards, coots, herons and cute little grebes, chosen as the symbol of this protected area. A must-see paradise for birdwatchers and nature photographers. There is a Visitor Centre inside Reserve, housed in an old renovated farmstead and also used to host interactive educational games related to species of local fauna. Nearby is the welcoming Oasis guesthouse, with accommodation for families and groups for a pleasant stay in contact with nature.