The Ossola Valley has always been the land that connects the heart of Europe with the romantic region of the Italian lakes: whether you have just crossed the risky mountain passes or said goodbye to the shores of Lake Maggiore, full of flowers, gardens and splendid Liberty style houses, the view will amaze you, changing suddenly and literally opening up before your eyes: welcome to the Lower Ossola!
The Lower Ossola is the route of the River Toce, which originates in the Formazza Valley, from the famous Toce Waterfall and, collecting the various tributaries of the other Ossola valleys, just a few kilometres further south, plunges into the waters of Lake Maggiore.
From the lake area, the first place encountered in the Ossola area is one of its gateways, Mergozzo, a splendid little town awarded the Touring Club Italiano Orange Flag, overlooking the picturesque lake named after it.
A visit to the town is not to be missed, including the Archaeological Museum and a walk along the lakeside, but it is easy to go as far as Montorfano too and it will be worth the trouble: at Montorfano, the name of which derives from its isolated shape as compared to other promontories, there is a true gem, the Romanesque church of San Giovanni Battista, inside which is an early Christian baptistery dating from the 5th century AD.
