Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
stone houses and heavy slate roofs, mostly high above the road and railway line on either
side of the valley, make tranquil bases for mountain hikes. Among the best stops are
Verda-
sio
,
Rasa
and
Bordei
. Rasa is only accessible by cable car from Verdasio.
At
Re
, on the Italian side, there is a procession of pilgrims on 30 April each year, based
on a tradition that originated when a painting of the Madonna was reported to have started
bleeding when struck by a ball in 1480. More startling than the legend is the bulbous ba-
silica built in the name of the
Madonna del Sangue
(Madonna of the Blood) from 1922 to
1950.
From Re, the route passes through a series of picturesque villages.
Valle Vigezzo
is also
locally known as the Valley of the Painters. An art school was established in Santa Maria
Maggiore in the 19th century, and many houses and chapels are gaily adorned with fres-
coes. The road and train line end in
Domodossola
, a frontier town on the train line that links
Milan with Geneva.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Valle Maggia
The broad Valle Maggia follows the Maggia river from Ponte Brolla (4km northwest of
Locarno); the valley's
tourist office
( 091 753 18 85;
www.vallemaggia.ch
)
is in Maggia. Visit
Auri-
geno
, a village known for its colourful frescoes. At
Cevio
, where the valley splits, 12km
northwest of Maggia, admire the colourful facade of the 16th-century Pretorio, covered
with local ruling families' coats of arms, and old-town mansions. A short, signposted
walk away are
grotti
. At
Cerentino
, the road forks - the right fork leads 5.5km along hairpin
bends to
Bosco Gurin
, a minor ski centre and high pasture village, where the main language
is German. The left fork from Cerentino leads up the 8km-long
Valle di Campo
along a wind-
ing forest road to another upland valley. The prettiest of its towns is
Campo
, with its
Romanesque bell tower.
Back in Cevio, the Valle Maggia road continues 3km to Bignasco. Turn west for the
Val
Bavona
, the valley's prettiest area. A road follows a mountain stream through narrow mead-
ows set between rocky walls to a series of irresistible hamlets.
Foreloin
is dominated by a
waterfall (a 10-minute walk away), and is home to
Ristorante La Freda
( 091 754 11 81;
Foroglio; meals Sfr45-50; lunch & dinner Apr-Oct)
. Sit by a crackling fire for
stinko di mailer
(pork shank), served with the best polenta you're likely to taste. Just after San Carlo, at
the northwestern end of Val Bavona in the inner reaches of Valle Maggia, a
cable car
