The Divedro Valley is Alpe Veglia, it is San Domenico di Varzo, and it is the link with Switzerland through the historic Simplon railway tunnel. The Divedro Valley is all this and much more!
The main centre of the Divedro Valley is Varzo, formed in turn by fifty-three hamlets, wedged between rugged gorges and dizzying rocky outcrops. Varzo (famous for its inimitable “Palio degli asini” (donkey race), in which people run along the streets sporting donkey ears!) is without doubt the best and most central starting point to discover the small pearls of this alpine valley. But that’s not all: it’s also worth visiting its oldest nucleus, witness to the long and rich history of this part of Ossola Valley.
A few kilometres from Varzo, you’ll find Trasquera with its beautiful sunny and little explored pastures, and San Domenico, the most touristy resort thanks to the modern ski lifts run by San Domenico Ski that lead to the beautiful valley basin of Alpe Ciamporino.
San Domenico is also the starting point for the path – to be covered on foot – which leads to the beautiful and unspoiled Alpe Veglia Natural Park, a true natural paradise.
After crossing the border with Switzerland, you’ll reach the Simplon Pass by car, which connects the Divedro Valley with the Canton of Valais. You can also reach it by rail: the entrance to the tunnel linking Italy and Switzerland is located in Iselle, a hamlet of Trasquera. Opened in 1906, for 75 years it remained the longest rail tunnel in the world.
From every single village in the Divedro Valley dozens of hiking trails depart that can be followed in every season, truly paradisiac scenery in which to practice a multitude of sporting activities in contact with unspoilt nature.
The flavours are simple due to the link with the raw materials of these lands and with the food traditions of ancient times. You’ll discover the culinary excellence of the area during your stay in a valley that offers an emotional and evocative journey between its past rooted in ancient history and its present as a living and unique mountain.
