5 July 2024
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READY, SET, GO!
from city to high mountains
THE OFFICIAL GUIDEBOOK
A Journey in the Heart and Souls of the Alps
The recently mapped out route of the Gran Via del Devero winds through the Val d'Ossola in North-West Piedmont, near the Swiss border. Specifically, it circles around the massif of Monte Cistella, traversing the valleys of Antigorio, Buscagna, Cairasca, and Divedro. It represents a skillful connection of trails into a singular, magnificent, and stunning alpine trekking loop.
The hike begins at Domodossola train station and returns there on foot along a beautiful circular route. It traverses some of the most stunning valleys in the region and in the entire Alpine range. The route features numerous stopping points for sleeping, eating, or restocking supplies, and offers endless possibilities to extend the visit well beyond the five days needed to complete the five stages of the itinerary. Potentially, the tourist explorations allowed by the many possible detours would require at least two weeks, to be spent among Italy’s unique canyons, magnificent alpine waterfalls, strict nature and wildlife reserves, breathtakingly beautiful alpine lakes, and numerous cultural and artistic tourist attractions (the Romanesque church of Baceno; the Walser villages of Salecchio, the splendid town of Domodossola; Candoglia quarries where the marble for Milan's Cathedral is extracted...).
The Gran Via del Devero offers well-trained hikers (the total elevation gain is 10,700 metres!) simple, safe, and scenic paths that are never repetitive and full of landscape surprises. Starting from the plains and reaching the remote and wild high mountains, it crosses the gentle mid-mountain regions, rich in history, legends, and art. The journey is accompanied by touching beauty from the very first stage, moving from city to iconic and welcoming villages and alpine pastures.
The Gran Via del Devero promotes an ancient approach to the mountains, like true wanderers, following paths that shepherds and wayfarers used in centuries past to cross the Ossola region and reach Switzerland, or vice versa. The Gran Via del Devero includes sections of the Via Stockalper, which connects Domodossola to Brig, parts of the High Routes in the area such as the Alta Via della Val Divedro, and fantastic alpine crossings like the famous Devero-Veglia traverse.
The route is suitable for everyone, as there are no exposed or technically challenging sections, but rather easy-to-follow paths (with perfect GPX marking available in the official guide of the route), all to be enjoyed from the first to the last step. All GPX tracks are included with the guide!
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