Wide pastures, small alpine pastures, imposing mountain peaks that frame breathtaking views, rich and unspoilt scenery, the cradle of exceptional biodiversity: the Alpe Veglia and Alpe Devero Nature Park is one of the most spectacular – and uncontaminated – wonders of the Ossola Valley.
Alpe Veglia is known as the alp of light, sun-drenched and enclosed in a vast amphitheatre of mountains dominated by Monte Leone. The Veglia pastures, from which numerous hiking trails depart, can be reached only until the snow makes the path leading to them inaccessible. Due to this unusual status of winter isolation, the mountain pasture, with its traditional stone houses, still appears unspoilt and untouched by the passage of time.
Accessible from Ponte Campo or from the high altitudes of Ciamporino, the solitary and wild Alpe Veglia amazes for its large hollows surrounded by larch woods that change colour in autumn to beautiful hues.
If Veglia is synonymous with light, Devero is known as the smiling alp due to the incredible variety of flowers that bloom there, filling the wonderful high pastures with multicolour shades: there are over five hundred species of flowers, trees and plants in this huge natural botanical garden, with an extraordinary seasonal succession of blooms.
The village of Crampiolo, located at the foot of the Codelago Dam, is distinguished by large pastures that blend with the settlement: here the Walser and Ossola architecture merge together to contribute to the birth of one of the most beautiful (and most photographed!) small mountain villages in Europe.
The aim of the Parco Naturale Veglia Devero (Veglia-Devero Nature Park) is to protect the environmental and natural characteristics of these two splendid large hollows in the Western Lepontine Alps. The great variety of environments, flora and fauna, which can be fully appreciated along four important nature trails, force humans to approach it… quietly: only in this way, by blending in with a spectacular nature, created by protection and valuable balance, the protected areas of this part of the Alps may remain a jewel to be explored for future generations too.
