Discover Boves: Nature, Culture and Tradition

Boves brings together experiences in nature, culture and regional traditions within a compact area. At Lago di Rivoira and along the mountain trails, the landscape takes centre stage, while museums with unusual collections and community events offer further ways to discover the town.

Music, natural history and glimpses into the past

L’Atlante dei Suoni is a theme park in Boves that introduces visitors to music, its rules and its language through games, experiments and discoveries. At the Museo del Fungo e delle Scienze Naturali, more than 1,100 models represent around 250 mushroom species. Natural history can therefore be experienced not only through individual exhibits, but also through the diversity of the forms on display.

The second room of the Museo del Fungo e delle Scienze Naturali contains fossils, minerals, stuffed animals, shells and a collection of more than 130 butterfly species from the Cuneo area. The Museo del Fungo in Boves was established with the contribution of a donation by Dr Mario Strani to the town of Boves, consisting of around 3,000 handmade and hand-painted mushroom models. The models are made partly of plaster and partly of synthetic resin.

Trails, water and the landscape around the Bisalta

Lago di Rivoira is also known as Invaso di Tetti Molettino. It is an artificial pond at the foot of the Bisalta that has become a destination for walks and recreation. The area around the lake has benches, tables, barbecue areas and open spaces. Nearby paths lead through forests and hilly landscapes, offering a different pace from the natural history collections in the town.

Boves also has more demanding mountain trails that can be used on foot or by bicycle. The route to Punta della Croce, by contrast, passes through vineyards and chestnut woods with little change in elevation, leading to a little-known viewpoint with a tall, slender iron cross.

Traditions, everyday life and community experiences

The Museo della Castagna has an educational space for activities focused on rural traditions, the forest and chestnut culture, as well as summer programmes for children and young people. Parco Marquet is now a sports, cultural and leisure centre offering visitors numerous opportunities for recreation, learning more and relaxing.

Recurring events also shape life in Boves. Festa delle Leve is a tradition held every year on Easter Monday, bringing together social encounters, games, solidarity and communal cheerfulness. Spasgiada Galupa is an open-air gastronomic trail with enjoyable stops between the districts of Boves and at various locations throughout the area. It conveys local flavours and traditions.

The Ricetto is part of the town’s history: in the Middle Ages, it was a fortified refuge, of whose reconstruction only a few traces remain. “Impronte di una comunità” comprises a collection of agricultural and craft tools from earlier times, as well as objects from everyday life. In this way, Boves spans everything from music and natural sciences to trails through the landscape and memories of work, craftsmanship and community life.

More places for planning your trip: Farigliano, Morozzo, Vergne, Giardina, Montelupo Albese, Lurisia, Tre Stelle, Roccasparvera.

For the broader travel overview: Cuneo.