Silence and tranquillity a short distance from the city
Beyond the crest of the Gridone, where a mountain that from 200 metres above sea level at Lake Maggiore, rises to 2.188 metres, there lies a fascinating land: the Centovalli.
Here the uncontaminated beauty of nature is in harmonious balance with the anthropic landscape that countless generations of farmers, breeders, and craftsmen have built over the centuries.
The fruit of their work takes the most diverse forms: small villages perched on the sides of the mountain, bold stone bridges suspended over the void, or another example of fine ingenuity, the bell tower of Intragna – the highest in Ticino.
Today the Centovalli has become a favoured destination for excursions and visits. Thanks to an extensive network of paths, you can set off to discover its main treasures, as well as its most mysterious corners where you enjoy the silence and tranquillity at a short distance from the city. The many activities that can be carried out there make it a valley of a thousand wonders. In fact all lovers of outdoor life can find their own happiness there from diving into the transparent waters of the Melezza, to climbing the pre-alpine peaks, passing from visits to places of culture to the tables of restaurants and authentic taverns where local products can be tasted.
Reachable in a little more than 10 minutes from Ascona, the valley winds west from Intragna to the border with Italy. Thanks to the Centovallina – recently designated by Lonely Planet as one of the ten most beautiful railways in the world – this fascinating territory can also be discovered and appreciated from the windows of the train, or from one of the three cable cars that reach the villages in the highest mountains.
