Holiday apartment in Riva Valdobbia: mountains, Walser culture and trails

Trails between the valley, hamlets and alpine pastures

The Via Regia runs from Riva Valdobbia through several hamlets to Colle Valdobbia, where the historic Ospizio Sottile is located. It was an old route connecting the area with the Aosta Valley and was used by merchants and emigrants. Another specific hiking option is Trail No. 205 from Sant’Antonio to Alpe Maccagno. The moderately difficult route takes an average of three hours and involves an ascent of 808 metres.

Alpe Maccagno lies in the territory of Riva Valdobbia and is also associated with a regional speciality: the cheese of the same name, Toma Maccagno (D.O.P.), is produced there. This brings together mountain activities and a culinary connection to the landscape within the same holiday concept, without requiring every day to follow the same rhythm.

Val Vogna and mountain landscapes

Val Vogna is considered a particularly wild, narrow mountain valley enclosed by the surrounding mountains. Walser villages and numerous small oratories characterise the valley and are of great historical and cultural importance. The peaks of Punta Sparone and Sasso Bruciato, as well as the mountains Corno Mud and Corno Bianco, are also located around Riva Valdobbia.

Alpe Larecchio lies in a high valley surrounded by larch trees, with a wide plateau. There is a small lake and an agriturismo there. The varied landscapes – from the narrow valley and mountain peaks to the open plateau – provide clear guidance when choosing accommodation and weighing up intensive hiking days, nature observation and more relaxed excursions.

Walser culture in the hamlets

In the hamlet of Oro in Riva Valdobbia, the Oratorio San Lorenzo was built in 1706. The Walser Ethnographic Museum is located in the hamlet of Rabernardo and is dedicated to Walser culture and traditions. The museum is housed in a traditional Walser house made of stone and wood; the reconstructed areas include a living room, kitchen, bedroom and stable.

The present-day parish church of San Michele Arcangelo also tells the story of local architecture: it originated from the remodelling of the 15th-century Oratorio Santa Maria. Puncetto is another part of the region’s living culture. This form of embroidery is still practised locally and is created exclusively with a needle and thread from thousands of small knots.

Historic destinations in the wider area

The wider area around Riva Valdobbia is home to the castles of Castello di Ussel, Castello di Suzey and Castello di Zumaglia. The Forte di Bard is also located there. Together with the Walser Ethnographic Museum, the parish church and the small oratories of Val Vogna, this selection offers various ways to explore the region’s history.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Riva Valdobbia, your specific interests may be decisive: trails such as the Via Regia and Trail No. 205, the landscape of Val Vogna, Walser history in the hamlets or regional cultural destinations in the wider area. This makes it possible to choose accommodation based on your preferred combination of activity, nature, history and culinary experiences.

Discover more places

Valduggia, Livorno Ferraris, Ferrera, Bianzè, Carisio, San Genuario, Cigliano and Gattinara

To the main travel overview: Vercelli.