The itinerary starts from the Intragna station along the Domodossola-Locarno line of the century-old Vigezzina-Centovalli Railway. The circular excursion passes through the small villages of Remagliasco, Salmina, Corcapolo, Casa del Sarto and Pila, along trails and ancient mule tracks that mark the passage of the ancient Via del Mercato (market road). The Via del Mercato was a medieval caravan route that connected, and still connects, Domodossola and Locarno. In ancient times it represented a very important Alpine road system because, in addition to allowing the transit of goods and livestock, it was used by the people of the valley who, driven by the impossible food self-sufficiency, reached the city markets to stock up on all those products that came from the fertile plain.
The excursion develops along the Melezza in the lively and steep valley called Centovalli, whose complex morphology is the work of a branch of the Toce glacier that insinuated itself into the Val Vigezzo and pushed into the Centovalli area. About 15,000 years ago, during its retreat, the glacier left moraine deposits to form terraces that today represent the areas where the villages of the valley arise.
The entire itinerary is a succession of ancient bridges over ravines and gorges, waterfalls and old stone buildings surrounded by extraordinary nature. An example of this are the ancient mills with large millstones located along the Riale di Mulitt and the Roman Bridge of Intragna, built in 1578, initially called "Ponte Nuovo" (new bridge) and then with the more popular name of "Ponte Romano" (Roman bridge), a work of considerable size and particular architectural elegance.
The excursion also reaches a panoramic point from which it is possible to admire the village of Intragna and the bell tower of the church of San Gottardo which, at 65 meters high, is the tallest bell tower in the whole of Ticino.
Warning: just before reaching the bridge over the Melezza that leads to Salmina there is a very short passage where the path narrows without protections.
Traveled on: Oct 31st, 2024
go to the map
Length:
Our time:
Total climb:
Min and max height:
Type of track:
Surface:
Panorama:
Cell network coverage:
Traced in winter:
Traced by bike:
