Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TICINO'S WESTERN VALLEYS
The valleys ranging to the north and west of Locarno teem with grey-stone villages, gush-
ing mountain streams, cosy retreats, traditional
grotti
(cellars carved out of great blocks of
granite) and endless walking opportunities.
For canyoning, rafting or climbing, contact
Indepth Outthere Adventures
(
078 614 98 77;
Getting There & Around
BUS
Postal buses to the western valleys leave from outside Locarno train station. For instance,
buses operate to Sonogno from Locarno as often as once hourly (Sfr10.50, 1ΒΌ hours).
Regular buses run from Locarno to Cevio and Bignasco (Sfr10.50, 50 minutes), from
where you make less regular connections into the side valleys. In Valle Maggiore, a bus
runs four times a day from Bignasco to San Carlo (Sfr8.50, 30 minutes) from April to
October.
CAR
Your own transport is by far the most flexible way to get around the valleys.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Centovalli
The 'hundred valleys' is the westward valley route from southern Ticino to Domodossola
in Italy, known on the Italian side as Valle Vigezzo (which is an access route to the Parco
Nazionale Val Grande;
Click here
)
.
A picturesque
train
(
www.centovalli.ch
; one way adult/child under 6yr Sfr35/free)
clatters along the val-
ley, trundling across numerous precarious-looking viaducts, from Locarno to Domodossola
(or vice versa). There are around a dozen departures a day; the journey is one hour and 50
minutes. Take your passport.
By car, the route is slightly less exhilarating but you have greater flexibility to stop and
explore on the way. The road winds west of Ponte Brolla (4km from Locarno) in a string of
tight curves, high on the north flank of the Melezzo stream. The quiet towns with their
