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Benvenuti

* Divedro Valley - Cairasca: San Domenico

* Bognanco Valley: San Lorenzo - La Gomba

* Vigezzo Valley: Craveggia

* Anzasca Valley: Bannio-Anzino - Macugnaga

San Domenico: Natural Park Alpe Veglia

San Domenico di Varzo in the Caraisca Valley (1420 m.) is known for its good snow conditions during the winter. Its normal to ski and snowboard until the first weekend of may. The history of San Domenico however started with the other seasons and the exceptional beauty of the Natural Park. Two high-altitude parks are linked in Ossola: Alpe Veglia and Alpe Devero. San Domenico is one of the best starting-points to discover them. Domodossola is only 30 km. away and 60 km. from the lakes Mergozzo, Orta and Maggiore.

1. Hotel Pizzeria Ristorante Edelweiss:

Edelweiss welcomes you and is ideally situated to start excursions into Alpe Veglia Natural Park. The family serves local and international dishes, genuine pizza's and every weekend also fish-specialties. Upstairs there are eight bedrooms for 2-4 persons and two bathrooms: one with bath and one with shower. Four bedrooms with TV. All bedrooms have their own wash-stand.

Apartment and Yolki Palki Camping Village in the Bognanco valley.

Bognanco springs (700 m.) is a health resort - 7 km. from Domodossola, 40 km. from Lake Maggiore - famous because of its mineral waters: San Lorenzo, Ausonia and Gaudenziana. Bognanco also is a deep green valley crossed by the Bogna torrent, from which it took its name. Free from any pollution, enjoying a mild climate an ideal surrounding to discover the Ossola mountains with summits above 4000 m.

San Lorenzo, situated at an altitude of 1000 m. is an excellent starting point for tours, hiking. The village of San Lorenzo is situated on a sunny plateau just a few km. above Bognanco. In the little village there's a bus stop, mini-market, post-office, bar and restaurant.

2. Casa San Lorenzo (2-3 persons):

Two apartments: both with one bedroom, bathroom, balcony with four chairs to eat outside and lounge chairs. Open kitchen with TV. No washing machine or freezer in the apartments.

3. Chalet Yolki Palki Camping Village (2-4 persons):

At Alpe 'La Gomba' (1250 m.)  in the Bognanco valley, this new camping village with chalets. On site there's a nice football pitch, sauna, mini-market, bar and restaurant. Yolki Palki offers a splendid location to discover flora and fauna. Walks into the woods, where you can hear the gentle sound of waterfalls, or along the narrow alleys with the typical houses.

The chalets have two bedrooms, one with sofa-bed for 2 persons and one with bunks bed. Living-room and kitchen with 2 cooking-plates. Bathroom with shower. Veranda with dinning table. Because Yolki Palki offers a camp site as well, its easy to add a tent nearby. The price (own tent) is 7 Euro during low-season and 10 Euro in July and August.

Apartments in the Vigezzo mountains

Vigezzo Valley: covers the Italian part of the 60 km. between Domodossola and Locarno in Switzerland. The 'Vigezzina’ train crosses more than 100 bridges and travels along beautiful villages as Masera, Druogno, Santa Maria Maggiore (sports centre with swimming-pool), Craveggia, Malesco and Re towards Locarno at the borders of Lake Maggiore. De valley is sunny with an incomparable natural and cultural value. The flora and fauna found its recognizing proudly in the 'Valley Grande' National Park: The first National Park of the Italian Alps. This scenery and the authentical atmosphere make that this valley is known as well as the Artists Valley.

Though Vigezzo could have been called chimneysweeper valley as well. During the 19 and 20 th. century the Vigezzo chimneysweeper found his way all over Northern Europe. The reason is that they became aware of their specialization, that came in a natural way, since the 16 th century. Around that period the competition among families started. Families found a way to distinguish by creating more, larger and different chimneys then their fellow citizens. The result, nowadays, makes walking through villages as Craveggia feel like walking into a fairy-tale.

Bannio Anzino and Macugnaga, at the highest, largest wall of the Alps: Monte Rosa (4635 m.). 

Bannio-Anzino (669 m.), about half-way the Anzasca valley with Macugnaga-Monte Rosa as the most famous attraction. But a personal recommendation is to start discovering Anzasca with a nice walk at Bannio, especially for local food-lovers, a one hour trip towards 'Alpe 'Soi', where Lady Rosanna prepares the best antipasti and dishes.  Another advantage of this village is its central location, near all other attractions of Ossola. Macugnaga is around the corner and Lake Maggiore not even 30 km. away.

4. Casa Bannio (4-5 persons):

This luxury third floor apartment, in an authentic family house, asks for a little prudence because of the steep stairs before reaching the front door. is  At entrance, hall and then the nice living room with balcony (photo: February 2005, left and on the right above), fire-place and sofa-bed. Dinning table for 6-8 persons.

At the other side of the apartment, another balcony with barbecue. Two bedrooms, one with bed for 2 persons and one with bunks bed. Bathroom with bath and washing machine. Kitchen with dishwasher.

Macoeniaga (1350 m.) is what can be called a top-attraction. Cultural, natural, historical, almost Himalayan.

5. Agriturismo Borca 2 apartments (2-4 persons):

In Isella, at the other side of the river ski-instructor Mauro keeps his nice agriturismo. The apartments in a traditional house are not to luxury and sometimes a spoon or dish is missing. It seems that there are more important things going on, like making tours by horse or mountain-bike to Lago delle Fate. Both apartments with living room and kitchen, bedroll with bed for 2 persons. Bedroom with bed for 2 persons, bathroom. Collective washing machine.

6. Chalet Elsa (2-4  persons):

Apartments in chalet with garden or balcony facing the Monte Rosa, near-by the cable cars to Alpe Bill and the centre of Macugnaga. Living room and kitchen, TV, bedroll with bed for 2 persons. Bedroom with bed for 2 persons, bathroom. Collective washing machine. 

7. ***Residence (2-4 persons):

Unique historical building in the centre of Macugnaga with reception and lift. Luxury apartments with bathroom, living room and kitchen, TV, bedroll with bed for 2 persons. Another bedroom with 2 beds in the 2-rooms apartments.

Macugnaga: 50 km. from Domodossola, lakes Mergozzo, Orta  and Maggiore.

8. ***Macugnaga Hotel:

9. Bed & Breakfast or half-pension Seggiovia (2-10 persons): 

Seggiovia or chair-lift. Also a popular bar and restaurant in Macugnaga, of cause next to the chair-lift with view towards the glaciers of Mount Rosa and starting-point for hikes to Rifugio Zamboni. On the attic-floor there are 5 rooms with 2 beds. Collective TV-room and bathroom.

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