Scopello: Skiing, Culture and the Sesia River

Scopello combines winter sports on Alpe di Mera with a remarkable local history and the Fiume Sesia – Scopello fishing reserve.

Skiing on Alpe di Mera

Alpe di Mera has 30 kilometres of prepared ski slopes. This figure describes a clearly defined offering for skiers, without assessing the individual runs by difficulty or length.

For beginners, the “Campo” area is designated at Alpe di Mera. It extends for approximately 400 metres and is served by a drag lift. The approximate length remains important: Campo is not a blanket-rated overall area, but a beginners’ area within the offering.

The connection between Scopello and Alpe di Mera is possible via three different means of access: on foot, by chairlift or by car. These are key differences when planning your day, especially if children and ski equipment are part of your group.

Historic places in Scopello and on Alpe di Mera

In the town stands the Chiesa Parrocchiale Maria Vergine Assunta, whose construction dates back to 1583. The church contains a baptismal font dated 1585. The two years establish a close historical chronological connection between the building and one of its distinctive furnishings. If you would like to alternate between a day of skiing and further impressions of Scopello, this ensemble offers a specific cultural point of reference, without implying any particular duration of a visit or current access.

The furnishings of the Chiesa Parrocchiale Maria Vergine Assunta also include an organ made in 1925 by the Vincenzo Mascioni company from Cuvio. It bears opus number 366.

Another historical reference can be found in the Genziana area. There stands a tall chimney structure, regarded as the only surviving testimony of Scopello’s former mining complex. The chronological classification is crucial: this concerns a former mining complex, not a statement about mining currently in operation.

Alpe di Mera is also home to the Cappelletta della Madonna della Neve. It was built by shepherds to protect the area from wolves. This tradition connects the site with the former use of the mountain landscape and the conditions under which shepherds travelled there.

The Sesia as a fishing and landscape setting

The “Fiume Sesia – Scopello” tourist fishing reserve is approximately 1.2 kilometres long and passes through Scopello’s built-up area. For you, this means an unusual spatial connection: the fishing section is not located exclusively in a remote landscape, but runs through the built-up part of the town. The approximate length should be understood as a guide for personal planning, not as an exact survey of a larger river area.

In the fishing reserve, you can fish using the Tocco method, spin fishing or fly fishing. The reserve is also home to brown trout, marble trout, brown trout–marble trout hybrids and rainbow trout. This diversity of species is part of the specific character of the fishing section, but says nothing about catch quantities or guaranteed availability.

In the area of the fishing reserve, the Sesia has numerous rapids and deep pools. They are bordered by broad gravel banks. As a result, the river scenery alternates between fast-moving water, deeper areas and open bank formations.

What kind of accommodation perspective Scopello offers

A sports-oriented stay can focus on the range of slopes and access to Alpe di Mera. A mixed travel group can also take the church, the historic chimney structure or the Sesia into account.

For comparing other destinations, Pila, Riva Valdobbia, Piode, Campertogno and Alagna Valsesia are available to you.

For the overarching travel overview: Vercelli.