Via Alta Vallemaggia

This easy-going trail is the perfect introduction to Alpine hiking and consists of four relatively short stages with a few rocky sections and stretches along moderately airy ridges. It is particularly suitable for those wishing to introduce young people—for example children—to the mountains off the beaten track.

The route runs along the mountain range between Vallemaggia and Onsernone. Running alternately along slopes and ridges, the trail offers 360-degree views of the Ticino Alps, the summits of Lombardy and Piedmont and more distant massifs such as those of the four-thousanders of the Valais. It also offers glimpses of the valleys nestled below, forests stretching as far as the eye can see, villages that look like miniatures from high up, and roads that resemble thin silver threads. From two thousand metres above the valley floor, you will have an eagle’s view.

 The trail takes you through a mountain landscape: with the exception of glaciers, you will find all the elements of the mountain environment, from high-altitude pastures to rocky detritus, from scree to compact rock, with crystal-clear lakes, peat bogs and a variety of woods: an Alpine kaleidoscope—nature at its best, with all its scents, nuances and facets.

Like many other stages of the Via Alta, this short trekking route offers some lovely refuges. The first and the third—Ribia and Canaa—are unmanned and self-catering: you are free to cook alongside other guests in a convivial atmosphere; The second refuge—Alzasca—is manned by volunteers, who do their best to spoil guests with delicious food and warm hospitality.