Goja del Pis
Goja del Pis
forest
Environment
landscape
Geopark Cottian Alps
pedal_bike
Outdoor
The Messa Valley has a typical 'U' shape, testament to its glacial origins; the disappearance of the glacier, the action of subglacial streams, and the action of the watercourses have carved a deep erosion groove between the lateral valley and the main valley. This incision is even more surprising when considering that for a significant part of its course, the Messa carves through green stones such as serpentinites, which are extraordinarily hard. Here, just a few kilometers from Turin, in the small municipality of Almese, the Messa River has carved several small lakes and goje (meaning "pools" in Piedmontese dialect) into the rock. One of these is the Goja del Pis, a small lake 30 meters in diameter, into which falls a picturesque waterfall (pis in dialect) about fifteen meters high.
The Pis waterfall owes its shapes to hundreds of thousands of years of erosion.
The path to reach the waterfall, which takes about 50 minutes, is accessible exclusively on foot, starts from the central square of Almese, and is equipped with numerous explanatory panels.
The walk begins at the Sant'Anna bridge in Almese, named after the small church dedicated to the Saint. Here is also the Tourist Information Point, where you can ask for more information.
From here, turn right, passing in front of the long arched building that houses the Town Hall. The route continues with a slight ascent and then turns left towards the mountain. Shortly after, on the right, a small road leads to the Church of Santa Maria, the ancient Parish Church. Returning to the paved road, continue to the first junction, where you stay on the main road, then at the next junction, move to the left, thus reaching the Borgata Fucinassa.
Continuing on, before reaching the Borgata Gambabosco, take a short road at a hairpin bend, leading to the parking lot in front of a farmhouse. A narrow path goes down to the Gambabosco spring and continues beyond the small equipped area, ascending through the chestnut woods mixed with robinia and wild hazel, then cuts across the hillside at mid-slope.
A slight descent then brings you near the bed of the Messa Torrent, from which you can see the waterfall and the wide pool of the Goja del Pis.
Alternatively, you can climb to the viewpoint located slightly upstream, from where you can enjoy the spectacle offered by the waters of the Pis, reflecting the dark green color of the rocks.
