Many of the little towns in the Val d’Ossola are gateways and passageways connecting Italy and Switzerland: this is true of Varzo, in Valle Divedro, which stands along the main road connecting Domodossola with the Swiss Simplon Pass.
Even its name, Varzo, recalls its Celtic etymology “Vargo”, symbolising the passageway that the town creates in these narrow gorges of almost vertical rocks.
For many centuries, Varzo’s history has been punctuated by conquests and border disputes: the most interesting historical sites are the tower, an impressive construction in granite located near the town hall, the Archaeological Museum, the Parish Church of San Giorgio and the chapels along the Via Crucis.
Its very numerous hamlets, no less than 53, are dotted over the highest and sunniest meadows in the municipality: one of the best-known localities is certainly San Domenico, a renowned tourist resort, both during the winter – due to its splendid skiing facilities, the most modern in the Ossola Ski Area – and during the summer, when it offers excursions, outdoor activities for adults and children and the typical culinary delights that make this little part of Piedmont on the border with Switzerland one of the most popular tourist areas.
