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June 1st /2nd, 2025 In the first days of June, the usual Rye Festival returns, which will be held in Montescheno, a few kilometers from Baceno, a festival that paves the way for the festivals that will be held in our Ossola this season. Rye is a cereal that is part of the tradition of our mountains and will be the protagonist in these two days through a rich gastronomic and educational menu, thanks to guided tours that will lead you to learn about this important ingredient, from cultivation to processing as the peasant tradition dictates in the ancient vertical wheel mill, dating back to the 19th century, located in the hamlet of Progno, and finally to cooking in the ancient stone ovens where dozens and dozens of black loaves of bread from the Alps will be baked. As a side dish, lots of good music and a great desire to party!!! For more information on the festival program, we invite you to return to the site or contact me. Find out more about rye. Trekking - The Rye Route

June 13rd / 14th / 15th, 2025 Like every year, the traditional Cherry Festival, founded in 1947, returns to Anzola d'Ossola, where it is held every year in June: although Anzola d'Ossola is not very exposed to the sun during the harsh winters, it can actually boast the early ripening of this delicious fruit of early summer. The festival, included in the rich calendar of Sagre Ossola. The festival has been held continuously for 70 years, officially starting the season of country festivals, very widespread and appreciated throughout the territory. Over the years this event has grown beyond the borders of Ossola, thanks above all to the commitment of the Pro Loco which tries to offer the best and satisfy the most varied palates, with a cuisine now known especially for grilled ribs, mixed fried food and local cherry tarts.

June 13th - 14th - 15th, 2025 Like every year, the traditional Cherry Festival, founded in 1947, returns to Anzola d'Ossola, where it is held every year in June: although Anzola d'Ossola is not very exposed to the sun during the harsh winters, it can actually boast the early ripening of this delicious fruit of early summer. The festival, included in the rich calendar of Sagre Ossola. The festival has been held continuously for 70 years, officially starting the season of country festivals, very widespread and appreciated throughout the territory. Over the years this event has grown beyond the borders of Ossola, thanks above all to the commitment of the Pro Loco which tries to offer the best and satisfy the most varied palates, with a cuisine now known especially for grilled ribs, mixed fried food and local cherry tarts.

When we talk about Val Formazza it is automatic to think of one of the most famous attractions and visited by the Toce Waterfall, a place that is absolutely worth visiting to bring with you the memory of a magnificent experience. The Toce Waterfall, also known as La Frua, is located in the municipality of Formazza, in the hamlet of Frua, in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in Piedmont, and is considered one of the most scenic symbols of the Val Formazza and the Alps. Located at a height of 1675 m, a stone’s throws from the Swiss border, the Toce Waterfall makes a jump of 143 m, is one of the highest waterfalls in Europe and offers an enchanting spectacle to admire. On the top a fantastic vantage point is the wooden balcony stretched above the water jump. On the top, stands the famous hotel built in 1923 and designed in Decò style by the architect Piero Portaluppi, one of the greatest exponents of the architectural style. The Toce Waterfall is born from the Toce river, the main waterway of the Val d’Ossola, which is formed in the Riale plain from the confluence of the Hosand, Gries and Rhoni streams, gives life to Lake Morasco, an artificial basin located upstream of the waterfall, at 1815 m high. The waters of this lake, whose dam was built in 1930 by the Edison company, are used for the operation of the Ponte hydroelectric power plant and, for this reason, the waterfall is not visible all year round, but only in the period from June to September and only in a few hours of the day. A river, the Toce that in the past was called Tuxa, a name that could be linked to the barbarian invasions, that is, Athisone, as mentioned by Plutarch. We are in an area where once stood a Walser village, born as a high altitude summer pasture. The history of the waterfall goes hand in hand with that of mountaineering. Already in 1777 a passionate Horace-Bénédict De Saussure, considered the founder of mountaineering, tracing the way that was followed by the Reverend and Mountaineer Coolidge, the Helvetic Studer, then again by the legend of mountaineering Cust and Riccardo Gerla called “The Apostle of Ossola”. The flood of the waterfall takes place at very specific times. To stay up to date on the opening of the Toce Waterfall returns to visit the site, constantly updated.

Lake Morasco, or Morasco Dam, is an artificial reservoir created between 1936 and 1940 to power the Ponte power plant. For the construction of the dam was submerged the homonymous village built here in the fifteenth century. An ideal walk in summer when the heat is stifling, magnificent in autumn for the colors of nature, that of Lake Morasco is an unmissable appointment. The history of submerged countries to leave room for “progress” also involves Piedmont. In Val Formazza, one of the valleys of the Val d’Ossola area located in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola right on the border with Switzerland, there is one of these villages that have been sacrificed to allow the construction of a dam. This is the hamlet of Morasco which, together with Riale, represented the extreme limit of the 13th century Walser settlements in this Alpine region. At the beginning of the twentieth century, in fact, the area of the Ossola Valley experienced a great development of the hydroelectric industry, a sector capable of attracting capital and manpower in a difficult economic situation in a difficult economic situation. The expansion of this sector brought money, work and consequently an improvement in the living conditions of the inhabitants of the area employed in this new industry that was spreading throughout the territory. The other side of the coin, however, was the huge damage that these changes caused to the surrounding environment: if in many cases the hydroelectric power plants were built using existing basins raising the level of the waters of the small lakes, in some other cases these basins were built ex-novo as in the case of Morasco. At the time, the wooden and stone houses of the small village belonging to the Municipality of Formazza were no longer permanently inhabited during the winter, while in summer, the best time for the alpine pasture at high altitude, still hosted some families. About twenty houses in total for a village now almost completely uninhabited that was buried by the waters of the hydroelectric basin between the 30s and 40s of the twentieth century creating what today takes the name of Lake Morasco. In the early years of the construction of the reservoir it was still possible to see the bell tower of the oratory dedicated to Sant’Anna and San Lorenzo which was located in the village. Subsequently, not even this small part of the old hamlet of Morasco was visible. In memory of the village and, unfortunately, also of the workers who lost their lives during the work, the Edison company that took care of the construction of the dam built on a hill around there a small oratory still visible today. Perfect mountain destination to spend a few hours in nature, Lake Morasco can be reached from Riale and continuing on foot along the road that leads to the village. The area has also become a reference point for alpine hikers who stop here to reach the mountain paths that cross it. Today Lake Morasco, nestled in the mountains of the Val Formazza, preserves this secret often unknown to travelers who stop to admire its turquoise waters in which the wonders of the surrounding nature are reflected. A somewhat nostalgic and melancholic story that deserves to be known to better understand what you are observing once you get there to the top.

Going down from the Formazza Valley it is possible to reach – to the south – the Antigorio Valley. The Antigorio Valley (Val Antigori in Piedmontese and in Lombardy, Eschental in German) is one of the alpine valleys that branch off from the Val d'Ossola (Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province). Here nature offers shows created by water throughout history: the most famous are the Orridi di Uriezzo, deep and winding cavities carved into the rock by the millennial action of glaciers and streams (including the water of the Toce river). You can visit the interior of the horrid on foot (with ease in periods of less water flow) and admire the overhanging walls from the wavy lines. In Premia, in Uriezzo, there are Orridi di S. Lucia, from Balmasurda and Arvera, equally spectacular. In Croveo, a hamlet of Baceno, you can visit the Marbles of the Giants, fascinating forms of circular erosion in the rock, beautiful coves and hemispherical cavities dug by the force of water. The Antigorio Valley is entirely covered by the Toce river and extends from Domodossola to the hamlet of Chioso di Premia, including the municipalities of Crodo, Baveno and Premia. Its continuation to the north is called Valle Formazza, while from Baceno the Valle Divedro opens to the north-west, from which you reach the Alpe Devero. Worthy of cultural mention is the ancient Walser village of Salecchio (1,320 meters above sea level) and the Parish Church of San Gaudenzio a Baceno, which stands majestically on the rocky outcrop that dominates the Orrid of Silogno, right in the center of the village. The importance of the village increased during the century. XIII, a period in which several extensions were also made to the parish church, of which there is already evidence of a document dating back to 1,039, when the building consisted of a chapel then incorporated in the twelfth century in what is now the central nave. The Antigorio Valley is entirely covered by the Toce river, and extends from Domodossola to the hamlet of Chioso di Premia, including the municipalities of Crodo, Baceno and Premia. Its continuation to the north is called Val Formazza, while from Baceno the Devero Valley opens to the north-west, from which you reach the Alpe Devero. From the orographic point of view, the valley separates, in the Lepontine Alps, the Alps of Monte Leone and the Gotthard to the west by the Ticinese Alps and Verbano to the east. The main activity of the valley is the extraction of the local stone, the serizzo. Crodo is a spa of considerable importance and is home to the production of the “Crodino” non-alcoholic aperitif, known all over the world, while at Premia a spa center has been developed using the properties of a hot water source.

Alpe Devero is an alpine resort located in the center of the Devero Valley, surrounded by some of the most impressive peaks of the Lepontine Alps. A little jewel of rare beauty, enjoyable in all seasons, a paradise for lovers of hiking, mountaineering, skiing and ski mountaineering. The small town is a hamlet of Baceno, a town in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola. The Alpe, a historic settlement of pastures for the breeding of livestock, is located at 1634 meters above sea level and is located within the protected area of the Alpe Veglia and Alpe Devero Natural Park. Inserted within the Veglia-Devero Natural Park (established in 1995), a large part of the territory of Alpe Devero is subject to environmental protection that preserves its pristine beauty. When it is there for the first time overlooking the plain of Alpe Devero, you are impressed by the uniqueness of the landscape, which offers spectacular photographic views in every season. As a frame of the green meadows scattered with flowers in spring and summer, of the beautiful stone and wood huts, collected in small groups and the stream that flows by roaring, the trees of Cervandone (3211 m), the Punta della Rossa (2888 m) and the crace crampiolo (2776 m) are raised while larch, fir trees and the thick underforest of rhododendrons and the sweetest pangs. In autumn the landscape is inflamed by being ochre, red and orange while in winter the snow envelops everything with its white and silent blanket, transforming the Alpe Devero into an enchanted landscape. The Alpe Devero, offers numerous excursions of different difficulty and length, both winter, for lovers of ski mountaineering and snowshoes, and summer, for trekking lovers. There are also mountain bike and down-the-line trails. Among the various options it is possible to reach both the Val Formazza and the Antigorius Valley and the Val Divedro. Entering the plain, behind the pension Fattorini, a beautiful building of the beginning of the twentieth century, we can reach the attacks of numerous climbing routes that are located on the Cervandone and Punta Rossa and the famous Lake of the Witches while on the left start the paths that from Alpe Devero allow you to reach the Val Buscagna, Lake Nero, the Alpe Veglia and the Combi Lanza bivouac, a point of support for the walls. The plain of Devero is a large plateau surrounded by the larch woods and the peaks of Monte Cervandone, Punta della Rossa, Pizzo Cornera and Pizzo Fizzi. Just north-east of the town of the Devero alp and Crampiolo is Lake Codelago (also known as Lake Devero), an artificial basin that occupies much of the valley floor of the Devero Valley. In the village there are typical examples of local architecture: huts with pious roofs. It can be reached from the A26 Voltri-Sempione motorway, up to Gravellona Toce, from here proceed to Domodossola exiting towards the Antigorio-Formazza Valley, continue to Goglio, a hamlet of Baceno, and from here you go up to the valley of Devero through a municipal road about 7 km long. The access and circulation of private vehicles are prohibited, paid parking is set up before entry. From Alpe Devero it is possible to reach Binn in Switzerland passing (expert hikers) for the Bivacco Combi and Lanza at 2,429 meters in Val Buscagna, built by the CAI of Omegna in memory of the young members Luigi Combi and Piero Lanza died on 19 July 1970 on the Canalone Marinelli (East Wall of Monte Rosa).

The Orrids of Uriezzo are a spectacular and sculpture result of the erosion of the waters complex of gorges, made thanks to the action of the streams that once flowed downstream of the Toce Glacier. Sint in Valle Antigorio, in the municipality of Premia (Provide of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola) During the last glaciation, which ended about 12,000 years ago (called Wurmiana Glaciation), the Antigorio Valley was occupied by the extensive Toce Glacier, which exceeded 1,000 meters. Downstream of it flowed countless streams, which, flowing impetuously, generated vigorous waterfalls able to sculpt the rock with their swirling and energetic movement, which over time have eroded the rock generating narrow valleys and gorges at meandriform gallows. With the retreat of the glaciers, the streams also retreated and left what are today the Orrids of Uriezzo, with an incidable and almost surreal appearance. Currently, in fact, the waterways no longer flow inside them and it is therefore possible to easily visit them on foot. The horrid of Uriezzo can now be visited as they are no longer crossed by the waters, while the orrid of Arvèra is still active and traveled by the waters of Toce, which, after crossing the Orrido di Balmasurda, visible from the bridge of Balmacorda, enters the plain of Verampia. The itinerary leads to the discovery of the horrid South and the North-East horrid and continues in Maiesso where the spectacular and evocative Giants’ Weapons are located: here the melting waters of the ancient ice of Toce have gathered forming currents and vortices that have dug the rock to erode and make visible the deepest layer called “Elemento 0”. The Orrids are characterized by a series of large subcircular cavities separated by narrow and tortuous tunnels. The walls are all sculpted by niches and grooves produced by the swirling and violent motion of waterfalls. At certain points they approach so much that from the bottom they do not allow the sight of the sky. Urrido Sud: called by the inhabitants of the place Tomb d'Uriezzo, it is the most spectacular, about 200 m long and from 20 to 30 meters deep North-East Orrid: about 100 m long and a dozen deep, very narrow in some places West Orrid: less characteristic, consisting of two distinct traits. A fourth horrid, which takes the name of Vallaccia, is located just below the Church of Baceno, but is difficult to access and ends with a jump on the Devero stream. The Orrids are a complex ecosystem characterized by high humidity, low light, smooth and smooth walls. Various plant species, especially mosses and ferns, are able to adapt to such difficult environmental conditions and are present in great variety.

Small village in Val Formazza, in Piedmont, Croveo is full of legends. Croveo is a small village, a hamlet of the municipality of Baceno, in the Antigorio Valley and Formazza, deeply marked by the inquisition and linked to several legends that over the centuries have created a halo of mystery around this place, which today we can visit thanks to its beautiful marbles called the Devil. Croveo today is a small village that is visited especially for its Marmitte, but it is also interesting the aspect related to popular beliefs. There are at least two legends linked to this place that are worth knowing if you want to fully experience the atmosphere of this place: one concerns a mysterious figure that would frighten children too curious, the other, the one on the presence of two huge boulders on the Devero river. There would also be a third story, but this more than a legend is a reality linked to the Inquisition. Croveo is a place full of mysteries and legends that are handed down from father to son. And one close to children is the one that concerns his famous bridge. A story perhaps born to instill in children a sense of fear and prudence when you arrive in dangerous places. The legend tells of an evil entity, called the “rampign”, a figure capable of dragging anyone who gets too far beyond the parapet of the bridge into the abyss. This entity would suddenly grasp the reckless with its hook, the rampign, in the local dialect, dragging it into the depths below. It is a popular story, but it is also a warning to keep the attention and above all the caution when you get around on this bridge that crosses the gorge where you can admire the underlying torrent Devero. The second local legend is the one that was published in the magazine “L’Ossola” between 1898 and 1899 written by Ottorino Leoni. It tells of one people, Lucia, a local girl and Michele, a stranger who had settled in Croveo to be a miller and build a mill on the Devero. The two loved each other, but their love was opposed by Domenico, the father of the young woman who felt abandoned by the girl. He made a pact with the devil for revenge, even if he immediately repented of the thing. And to remedy it sought help in an old hermit who lived in a cave just above the river. As the hermit begged the devil, she appeared on the top of the mountain, beginning to throw stones with the intent to kill the two lovers and destroy the mill. Lucifer did not succeed in his intent. Having ceased the danger, Domenico understood the mistake, embraced the two young men and gave consent to marry with his blessing. All was well until the death of the hermit. It was at this time that the devil wanted to take revenge, trying to obstruct the river bed to block the water and drown the miters. This intent also failed. The two boulders thrown by the devil were wet, as we see them today. According to legend, the cause of the plague that struck the Ossola Valley was caused by a tail butt of the Devil that ended up in the waters of the Devero, then in those of Toce, Ticino and the entire Po. The third, and it is not a legend, concerns the cruelty of the inquisitory friars who struck heavily here, bringing terror and death to the so-called “heretical” people. We are in the period of the Council of Trent, convened in response to Luther’s theses and the reform of the Catholic Church to increase faith in the most isolated regions such as the Formazza valley. The new directives issued by the clergy emanated had heavy consequences for this area.

The town of Premia Terme is located in Piedmont and is a "comune town in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola". Premia is located in Val d’Antigorio, one of the branches of the Val d’Ossola, which follows the road that leads to the Val Formazza, between mountains and natural parks, one of the most evocative places in the Upper Piedmont. The Municipality of Premia, where the spa is located, with its pastures and woods is an ideal place for quiet and regenerating stays. Its hamlets, its delicious churches and museums tell its history, starting from Roman times through the domination of the De Rodis family, which also had relevance in the history of Ossola. From there the first Walser colonizations of the lands at altitude begin, where still today the villages of Salecchio Superiore, Salecchio Inferiore and Case Francoli, as well as examples of Walser architecture in other parts of the territory that start from Cadarese to the border with Formazza, are still located. The Terme di Premia is located in a modern structure with innovative technologies and treatments, inaugurated in 2008. Immersed in a heavenly place, it is the ideal opportunity to detach from the daily efforts and enjoy a well-deserved rest between the beauty of nature and the benefits of thermal water. A holiday also suitable for the whole family thanks to healing and recreational spas suitable for children. The thermal waters of the Premia spring flow at 44 degrees C and are classified as high-term calcium sulphate. Thanks to these features they are suitable for many types of treatments. In particular, they are indicated for respiratory diseases with specific inhaling treatments and the possibility of micronized showers. On the other hand, for arthroreutic and dermatological pathologies, balneotherapy with immersion in thermal water at 38 degrees C is very effective, a real panacea against skin aging. Finally, the vascular path on pebbles with tanks at alternating temperature, is indicated for the circulatory system. The Premia spa offers many possibilities to relax and have fun. Diving into its waters is always a magical moment. The pool area will give you both physical and mental well-being with hydromassage and cervical jets that ease the pain and relax the nervous system. While you relax thanks to these sensations, the children will play in the reserved area with slides and many games even for those who are not yet able to swim. But if you want to enjoy the view of the Ossola Valley, the outdoor thermal pools are the place for you. Open all year round, you will reign an unforgettable experience that combines natural beauty and well-being. In addition, at the spa you may feel lighter. it shuffles the muscles, reduces swelling and stimulates circulation with the vascular pathway. A walk in a long and narrow pool, divided into hot and cold water, with pebbles that generate a natural and physiological foot massage. During your stay at the Holiday House La Beccaccia is available, on request, a discount code to be used during the booking on the website of the Terme di Premia, to get a 10% discount.