Discover Antrona Schieranco

The nature park, lake, historic paths, and traces of mining and religious history give Antrona Schieranco several distinct points of interest. If you are looking for a hotel in Antrona Schieranco, you can plan your trip around the topics that matter most to you. The places and stories below show how differently the destination’s landscape and history have been shaped.

Nature Park, Antrona Lake, and Cheggio

The Alta Valle Antrona Nature Park extends across areas of the municipalities of Antrona Schieranco and Viganella in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola. Its elevation ranges from the valley floor near Viganella at 500 metres to Pizzo Andolla at 3,656 metres in the upper Loranco Valley. The park therefore encompasses both the valley floor and the heights of Pizzo Andolla. Antrona Lake is one of the basins in the nature park.

The lake formed after a large earth embankment blocked the course of the Troncone. Since 1926, Antrona Lake has been used as a reservoir for the downstream hydroelectric power plant at Rovesca. Here, landscape and use go hand in hand: the lake is part of the nature park and is also connected with the valley’s history of hydroelectric power.

Another notable landscape feature is Cheggio, an extensive pasture on a gentle slope north of Antronapiana, at the entrance to the Loranco Valley. Its position in relation to Antronapiana and the valley sets Cheggio apart geographically from Antrona Lake and Pizzo Andolla.

Historic paths and their different stories

Since ancient times, travellers have used the historic Antrona route to travel from the Antrona Valley to the Saas Valley and from Ossola to Valais via the Antrona or Saas Pass. It connected Villadossola with Visp. Another specifically described route is the mule track from the village of Locasca up to Molini, with 52 hairpin bends along its course. The historic route across the passes and the mule track between Locasca and Molini represent different aspects of the history of the paths.

The Path Slow Trek – Lake Antrona also follows a distinctive course: it runs over a steep metal ladder and then along a suspended walkway through the Sajont waterfall. As access may depend on trail conditions, it is advisable to check conditions before your visit. This sets the route apart from the long historic trail and the mule track: here, the focus is on a specific section through a waterfall.

Mining and historical traces

From 1700 onwards, gold ore from the Antrona Valley was ground and amalgamated in numerous small Piedmontese-style water mills. This detail draws attention to the processing of ore in the valley. For trip planning, this is a different historical focus from the pass routes, whose importance came from travel between the valleys and across the Alps.

The Rifugio Andolla, inaugurated on 5 July 1953, is also part of the history of this mountain region. After being destroyed by avalanches several times, the Cappella del Buon Pastore was finally rebuilt in 1994. These dates provide a point of reference for different historic places without grouping them under a single theme.

An oratory dedicated to Saint Bernard of Menthon was built after the Pozzuoli landslide in 1650. At Alpe Cama superiore, there is also an erratic boulder completely covered with petroglyphs. These include cup marks, grinding marks, magic squares, simple rings, cross- or star-shaped depictions, inscriptions, and anthropomorphic figures. The variety of carved forms makes this stone a distinct archaeological subject alongside the paths, mills, and religious buildings.

Choosing hotels in Antrona Schieranco

When looking for a hotel in Antrona Schieranco, you can first decide which topics you want to shape your stay: the nature park and Antrona Lake, the history of the paths, or the historical traces. Then compare the location and terms of a specific offer with your own plans. This will help you compare hotels with the destination you actually want to explore in mind.

Discover more destinations: Antronapiana, Miazzina, Baceno, Cadarese, Pollino, Bracchio, Fondotoce, Craveggia.

For the regional travel overview: Verbano-Cusio-Ossola.