Cossogno: Trails, Water and History

Cossogno is considered a preferred gateway to Val Grande National Park. Trails, waterside spots and historical landmarks give the destination different facets. If you are looking for a hotel for your trip, the landscape and the things that interest you along the way can play a role in choosing where to stay: nature, hiking trails and culture are closely linked to Cossogno’s character as a destination.

Waterscapes and forest

Water appears in various forms in Cossogno. Acquamondo is the Val Grande National Park’s environmental education centre and also a water museum. The Orrido “Paradiso dei cani” reveals another side of this element: over thousands of years, the watercourse carved out the deep gorge at one of the valley’s narrowest points.

The Pineta d’Inoca also has a character of its own. Despite its name, it is actually a spruce forest with Norway spruce; larch and Weymouth pine also grow in the surrounding area. The area is equipped with picnic tables. Those interested in landscapes can compare this forest setting with Val Pogallo: the Una storia d’acqua route passes waterfalls and pools of water that reflect the green of the forests. Small flowers contrast with the grey rock faces.

Trails with different themes

The trails around Cossogno differ in their destinations and themes. The Sentiero della religiosità is a circular route around Cossogno that passes rural chapels, devotional frescoes and the Oratorio di Inoca. The path to the oratory, in turn, passes the chapels of the Stations of the Cross. The oratory was built in the first half of the 17th century on the site of an older chapel dedicated to the Madonna di Re.

The Sentiero della foresta offers another connection: it runs between Cossogno and Rovegro via the Ponte Romano above the Torrente San Bernardino. The Sentiero dell’energia, meanwhile, leads to Italy’s first hydroelectric power plant with long-distance alternating-current transmission. The Sentiero della fatica focuses on historic alpine farming and rock carvings: the route passes Corte di Rugno, an old alpine pasture belonging to Cossogno, and reaches Conca d’Aurelio, with its numerous rock carvings. The Sentiero del castagno follows a mule track through old chestnut forests to Corte di Miunchio.

La civiltà della fatica offers its own route: it starts in Cicogna and leads to Alpe Prà and Leciuri in Cossogno. For planning purposes, Una storia d’acqua is listed as taking approximately one hour and 30 minutes; breaks and the return journey are not included. The trails can thus be distinguished by their stated destinations and themes, without treating their different duration and route details as equivalent.

Views, buildings and local history

Runchio is an alpine pasture whose existence has been documented since 1300. From Runchio, the Cossogno–Runchio–Alpe Aurelio route offers expansive views over Lago Maggiore towards the Lombard shore. The route thus connects a historic alpine pasture with a named viewpoint.

Ponte Romano is a stone, single-arch bridge above the Torrente San Bernardino, on the border between Cossogno and Rovegro. The year 1773 is given as the date of construction on a stone set into the bridge. The Chiesa di San Brizio also has a history reflected in its name: its dedication to Saint Martin of Tours dates back to the mid-12th century. El mulin det Camil, a historic combination of a walnut-oil press and mill, is also located in the Ramolino valley. It is also described as a symbol of the resourcefulness of mountain communities and the hardships of everyday life for past generations.

Those who would like to learn more about the region can visit the Centro Visita di Cicogna, which has a free exhibition on the natural, historical and cultural aspects of Val Grande. It complements the specific places and trails in Cossogno with a broader view of the national park.

An annual celebration

The Festa del Toc is also part of the town’s history. It is renewed every year on 26 December, the feast day of Saint Stephen, with the distribution of blessed bread. The first document mentioning the celebration is a parchment deed from 1328; however, the distribution of bread as alms is said to date back to the 13th century. Thus, an annual event that continues to this day coincides with a more distant history passed down with some uncertainty.

Discover more destinations: Quarna Sotto, Druogno, Pontegrande, Alpe Devero, Cannobio, Carmine, Baveno, Fondotoce

Back to the regional travel overview: Verbano-Cusio-Ossola.