Plan de la Tour Farm is located in the enchanting Gran Paradiso National Park, in Mougnes. It is surrounded by meadows and pastures outside the village of Epinel, a hamlet of the Alpine Pearl of Cogne. The farm, which houses sheep, donkeys, piglets, horses, rabbits, hens and seven hives, is the first eco-friendly agritourism of the Cogne Valley.
Here the welcome is authentic and familiar. The stone and wood chalet and the rooms furnished with traditional materials make you travel back in time. During the breakfast of zero km products of the farm you can taste flavors you thought forgotten. While in the evening, in front of the fireplace, you can listen to the stories of the Gran Paradiso Natural Park.
We interviewed Mattia, one of the owners of Plan de La Tour. We asked him to tell us more about this beautiful eco-friendly farm project.
How was the ‘Plan de la Tour’ Farm born?
The dream of creating an eco-friendly farm was born in 1996 by my parents Letizia and Rosario, when my brother David and I were in the middle of childhood. In the same year was born Riccardo, younger brother, partner and backbone of today’s project.
The will was immediately to resume the tradition agricultural handed down in generations and to express it in a new project, characterized by a link between folklore, territory and hospitality.
The construction works carried out by my father’s construction company have brought to light the first farm in the valley of Cogne.
Meanwhile, the farm took shape under the agricultural and zootechnical aspects. The Farm Plan de la Tour opens for the first time in December 2006.
From that year began an adventure that lasted eleven years. This allowed us to mature a deep passion and gave us countless emotions and satisfactions.
In 2017, after a long illness, my mother Letizia leaves us. She was the beating heart of the family, a fundamental element of work in the company. This fact leaves an indelible trail, just like his courage and dedication. His teachings and vitality still live in us today and give us so much strength.
What good sustainability practices have you adopted?
From both my parents’ families, we inherit a strong tradition in agriculture. Giovanni, paternal grandfather, was a miner who moved from Sicily to extract magnetite from the mines of Cogne.
Giovita Floreano, maternal grandfather, was a historical forester of the Gran Paradiso National Park, in service in the Trajo valley. I still remember the daily life stories of my grandmother Rosina about their love for such a simple and authentic life, in which, next to the house, a few cows were treasured, as happened in many families of Epinel.
The satisfaction of collecting the raw material with their own hands, to transform it and bring it to the tables of the guests is one of the joys of this profession. We are lucky enough to live and work in a pure and genuine place.
Our magnificent valley offers an untouched nature. Here, air, water and soil have preserved a unique purity : the ideal place to breed and grow products of quality.
The altitude at which the farm is located does not allow every type of crop. But this relieves us from the use of all sorts of herbicide, insecticide or pesticide: this is a strong point of value.
The farmhouse is located in a bucolic environment and away from roads, confusion and pollution, surrounded by a mantle of a thousand shades of green in the beautiful seasons and a bright white in winter: nature is the master.
Respect for Life and Nature
The farm lives in full respect of life and the succession of seasons, following the rhythms and collecting with thrift gifts: from fruits to officinal plants, from berries to decorative plants.
Respect for nature and the environment starts from afar: the company’s energy needs are covered at 100% from renewable sources, such as photovoltaic, solar and biomass panels. The common rooms are heated by stove and fireplace, where firewood often recovered from the cleaning of the surrounding woods.
Thanks to these investments and small daily attentions, the farm has obtained the quality mark of the Gran Paradiso National Park, a guarantee of value and ecology in our valleys.
What do Guests Appreciate the Most?
For our family, hospitality is a passion and tradition. We believe that it is fundamental, especially in a structure like an agriturismo, to create a bond with each of the customers.
Precisely for this reason, for example, we spend on the collection of medicinal plants so that we can offer our herbal teas or our traditional liqueurs in the evening hours to our guests. This is a key moment of relaxation where you can tell excursions in the valley, or even the stories of our places or our family, maybe in front of the fire.
There is nothing better for us than to be able to pass on or share our greatest passions with guests, such as nature, the mountains, free climbing and ski mountaineering. The goal is to always increase the love for our work, trying to give each of the guests a story to tell.
Which itineraries should not be missed?
There are many itineraries, both for those who love to walk, for those who prefer riding an electric bike, or move on horseback. These are the paths not to be missed:
On Foot
Easy:
- The bottom of the Valnontey and the Alpe Money, in front of the Gran Paradiso
Medium:
- excursion to the refuge Grauson and the lakes Lussert
- ascent to Lake Loie and loop in the Bardoney valley
Difficult
- Ascent to the Vittorio Sella refuge and the suggestive crossing to the Gran Paradiso serac towards the Herbetet
By Bicycle
Facile:
- da Epinel a Valnontey, dai confini sino al cuore del Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso
Medio
- Il fondo valle di Cogne da Sylvenoire fino a Lillaz e la selvaggia Valeille e ritorno dalle cascate
Cicloalpinismo – difficile
- Il Vallone dell’Urtier fino al colle Invergneux a quota 2900 mt, e discesa dal Vallone del Grauson. Uno de più suggestivi giri cicloalpinistici d’ Europa.
What does it mean for you to be part of Ecobnb?
For us, it means having the opportunity to host people who are really looking for what we offer and who have the sensitivity to understand what lies behind the attention and care for the territory and the environment. Have the opportunity to welcome those who arrive with an open heart in search of the simplicity of nature.
Are you ready for a truly eco-sustainable holiday in the heart of the Gran Paradiso National Park?
