Valstrona between Walser culture and mountain trails

Valstrona between Walser culture and mountain trails

Campello Monti can be reached by car from Omegna or on foot from Forno via the old Stra Vegia trail. Campello Monti is inhabited only from May to October. The Campello Monti–Pissa dei Danai trail has been restored and fitted with signposts.

The trail from Campello Monti to Pissa dei Danai passes through the Ronco hamlet and the Preasore area before reaching Pissa dei Danai. The use of the four small natural stone refrigerators in Preasore, Campello Monti, has been documented since the early years of the 19th century.

Historic Religious Sites and Museums

The former parish church of San Giovanni Battista in Campello Monti was built in 1749 in the late Baroque style. The former parish church of San Giovanni Battista houses a large painting of Saint Francis attributed to Guercino.

The Santuario della Madonna della Colletta contains two 16th-century carved wooden icons from the German school. The depictions show the Nativity and the Adoration of the Magi.

The Centro museale naturalistico di Valle Strona Mario Bertolani presents the geological history of Valle Strona and the local rock known as Stronalit. The Museum of Sacred Art in Forno preserves liturgical vestments and vessels from the churches and oratories of upper Valle Strona and displays 500 works from the 15th century and later.

Valle Strona is home to more than one hundred family-run craft businesses; most of them work with wood.

Routes with Clearly Defined Details

The Campello Monti–Lago Capezzone–Cima Capezzone route begins on trail Z17 near the church of the Walser village of Campello Monti. After passing the Alpe di Capezzone at an altitude of 1,850 metres, the route continues to Lago di Capezzone at 2,100 metres and to the Bivacco Abele Traglio. The Campello Monti–Lago Capezzone–Cima Capezzone hike is listed with a total duration of seven hours, 1,150 metres of elevation gain and difficulty level E, with sections rated EE.

The route from Campello Monti via the Bocchetta di Campello to Rimella is a stage of the Gran Traversata delle Alpi and also forms part of the Walserweg, the Sentiero Italia and the Via Alpina. The protected area of Parco Naturale Alta Valsesia e dell'Alta Val Strona includes the GTA section between Rimella and Campello Monti.

In summer, the Campello Monti–Bocchetta di Campello–Rimella route includes a recommended visit to the shepherds of the Azienda Agricola Calzino farm. At Azienda Agricola Calzino, cheese is made from cow’s milk and sold on site.

Walser Tradition and Local Festivals

Since 1993, the Walser community of Kampel has promoted cultural and scientific initiatives to develop Campello Monti in Valle Strona and make it better known. The annual “Campello and the Walser” conference takes place on the first Saturday in August.

In Luzzogno, a traditional celebration is held every three years on September 8. For the occasion, the municipality erects a long gallery of white cloths, beneath which the procession passes.

Other places: Vignone, Traffiume, Mergozzo, Arizzano, Verbania, Stresa, Belgirate and Beé.

Back to the higher-level travel overview: Verbano-Cusio-Ossola.