Municipality of Omegna (VB)
Green&Active Lake is an initiative by the municipalities and sports and cultural associations around Lake Orta. It aims to provide the area with an integrated network of nature and cultural cycling and walking paths, which can be safely enjoyed and help protect and enhance the territory, landscape, and economic and cultural activities of the Cusio area. The initiative focuses on developing slow, healthy (active), and sustainable tourism. The core concept of the initiative is to restore and promote cycling and walking paths in forested areas and small villages, using only eco-friendly engineering methods with low environmental impact, avoiding costly and high-impact construction works on roads at lake level.
The shores of Lake Orta, a small glacial lake in northern Piedmont, are part of a hilly and pre-Alpine area of rare beauty. Less urbanized than the nearby Lake Maggiore region and less known to mass international tourism, this area has preserved ancient villages, agro-pastoral settlements, meadows, and forests over the centuries, crisscrossed by the paths of ancient routes and newer trails, largely for pedestrians. The Lake Orta area sees more than 260,000 visitors annually (20% of the total visitors to the Lake District Tourist Area). The main tourist destination, Orta and the Island of San Giulio, attracts over 125,000 visitors each year, with an average stay of only 3.4 days, and is experiencing significant “overtourism.” “Active tourism” now accounts for 79% of the total tourism in the area (2020 data).
In recent decades, thanks to the passion and dedication of numerous volunteer groups, many outdoor sports initiatives have developed throughout the Lake Orta area, which has proven to be an ideal environment and territory for these activities. Most competitions take place along trails that wind through forests and ancient villages, offering stunning views of the lake, the Island of San Giulio, and its green shores. It is estimated that over 300 volunteers periodically work on maintaining and preparing the trails for competitions. The main cycling and walking routes, as well as outdoor competition tracks (partially on paved roads), in the Lake Orta area cover more than 430 km (cycling) and 830 km (walking).
The project has accomplished the following:
- Mapped existing trails and analyzed critical points and areas for safety and accessibility,
- Defined and identified interventions for: safety measures, completion of routes, enhancement through low-impact structures, and signage,
- Prepared the preliminary and final designs for the interventions, continuously sharing and validating them with project stakeholders through a participatory design process.
The partner municipalities, agencies, and associations involved now have an integrated project at the final stage, with a total cost of €1,500,000, ready for submission to regional funding programs and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), and immediately ready for implementation.
Supported by:
