Holiday apartment in Rimella: Walser culture and mountain trails

Walser culture among houses, language and museum

Walser culture in the Rimella area has survived to this day. Older residents still speak Tittschu, a language of German origin. The architectural history can also be discovered through specific examples: Rimella is home to a Walser house with Lobie balconies that are still intact, dating from 1607. Sella is also home to Casa Robbo, a Walser house dating from 1593. The Museo Antropologico G.B. Filippa displays minerals, shells, stuffed animals, books, coins and everyday objects. Giovan Battista Filippa established it to convey scientific and cultural aspects of the world to his fellow citizens.

Hiking trails with Walser history

Several documented trails give your stay a clear thematic direction. The Walser trail Itinerario 4 / Rimella–Carcoforo passes the 18th-century Church of Madonna delle Grazie. The Rimella–Carcoforo route also runs along picturesque waterfalls and mountain lakes and follows the trails of historic villages of the old Walser civilisation. A hike to Bocchetta di Campello begins in Rimella at an elevation of 1,176 metres. It reaches Bocchetta di Campello at 1,924 metres in 2 hours and 30 minutes, with an elevation gain of 748 metres. Along the way, it crosses an area with historic alpine pastures and connects Rimella with its former hamlet of Campello Monti.

Shorter or differently themed explorations are also part of the local landscape: An old paved path leads to the hamlet of Sella. An old connecting path between the hamlets leads from Chiesa, Chiljchu in Walser, towards San Gottardo, Rund in Walser. After crossing the river, a path leads into the Alta Valsesia Nature Park towards Roncaccio Superiore. The different trail characteristics make it easier to combine active days and cultural discoveries at your own pace.

Mountain landscape and alpine pastures

In the Rimella area, the Parco Naturale Alta Valsesia e dell'Alta Val Strona covers approximately 1,000 hectares on the right bank of the Landwasser stream. The area extends from an elevation of 930 metres to the 2,400-metre-high summit of Capezzone in the S. Anna valley. Another distinctive landscape feature is Alpe La Res: it is an alpine pasture at 1,419 metres, with alpine huts, a fountain and a small church.

Festivals and regional specialities

Santa Gioconda is the most important religious focal point for the community of Rimella. The festival in her honour is celebrated every year in August. At the annual Festa dell’Ascensione in the parish church of San Michele Arcangelo, there is a traditional procession followed by the distribution of blessed bread to the residents of Fobello.

The regional cuisine also tells the story of the mountain world. The recipe for Malbumfànnu from Rimella combines roasted flour, white flour, eggs, butter, milk and fine salt; Toma cheese, sugar or apple may optionally be added. At Alpe Pianello, Bìdemje, the experience includes a shepherd's demonstration of how cow's or goat's Toma and Mascarpa are made, as well as a visit to the cellar where the cheeses mature. At Alpe Cinenecca, Tschinenakku, visitors can taste fresh milk, cream and Toma and talk with shepherds about life in the mountains and the pastoral way of life.

Discover Rimella as a holiday accommodation destination

If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Rimella, your planned experiences are the main factor in choosing the right stay: Walser houses and the museum provide a cultural focus, while the trails to Bocchetta di Campello, Sella or towards the nature park structure active days. The mountain landscape, festivals and alpine pastures also offer different reasons to get to know Rimella not only as a starting point, but as a destination in its own right.

For further regional orientation, you can also find Piode, Desana, Crescentino, Carisio, Riva Valdobbia, Pila, Trino and Cigliano.

For the overarching travel overview: Vercelli.