Would you like to travel back in time? Plan a trip to the Gardetta Plateau.

This very ground was walked upon millions of years ago by immense dinosaurs that left footprints still visible today. The first discoveries date back to 2008 when, thanks to the work of geologist Enrico Collo and Prof. Michele Piazza from the University of Genoa, the footprints of a dinosaur ancestor were found. The discovery was officially announced in July 2009 after Heinz Furrer, professor at the Museum of Paleontology in Zurich, identified and confirmed the find.

These are footprints dating back approximately 250 million years, left on the rippled muddy seabed of an ancient marine coastline that has now transformed into a beautiful mountain plateau at about 2,200 meters altitude.

The next step was to discover who had left those footprints: they were attributed to a “new” animal, the Isochirotherium gardettensis, vaguely similar to a crocodile of considerable size, at least 4 meters.

Starting in 2016, the Cultural Association “Escarton” supported the project, acting as an intermediary between research and local institutions. The project is set to develop further thanks to the expansion of the research area and, above all, through the dissemination of research results via the creation of a Geo-Paleo park.

The plateau, located at an altitude above 2,000 meters, is dominated by the dolomitic peak of Rocca la Meja, one of the most beautiful mountains in the Cuneo Alps with remains of military settlements. A route, less vertical and exposed than it might seem, allows you to reach its highly panoramic summit. A destination that will give you great satisfaction if you love the most scenic treks

• Canosio

• How to visit the site

  Every Saturday and Sunday starting from 3 July until 12 September and from 9 to 20 August every day a shuttle takes you to the Gardetta plateau. The starting point is the Grangia Selvest in Preit.