Masera: Hiking, Churches and the Panoramic Railway

Masera offers several practical starting points for planning a trip: a route through its hamlets, trails that start at the church square, historic religious buildings and the Centovalli–Vigezzo Railway. You can consider whether you’d like to spend most of your stay walking, visit churches and oratories, or include a ride on the panoramic railway. The starting points and features described here can help you weigh these interests when choosing a hotel in Masera.

Hiking and Trails in Masera

For hiking, the “Trekking – Masera e le sue frazioni” route is a specific place to start. It connects Masera’s sun-exposed hamlets via mule tracks and passes through a landscape that is still actively farmed. The route is considered easy and follows a mule track for most of its length. This lets you consider both the character of the trail and its level of difficulty: as well as connecting the hamlets, the route’s profile also includes the actively farmed landscape. If you’d like to get to know Masera on foot, this route offers a clearly defined focus for your planning.

The route starts at Masera railway station and leads to the church square, where trails A6, A8, A10 and M0 begin. The Via del Mercato also starts at the station, so two named routes share the same starting point. For “Trekking – Masera e le sue frazioni,” the church square is the destination; it is also where the four trails mentioned above begin. This distinction can help you find your way using a specific route name.

Churches and Oratories

The Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Martino was built in 1883 on the site of an earlier Romanesque church. It also houses a 19th-century organ. This building offers two points of interest: the sequence of the earlier church and its successor, and a specific feature of its furnishings. The building and the organ offer different points of reference if you’re interested in architectural history or church instruments.

The old Oratorio di Sant’Abbondio marks the entrance to Masera from the Valle Vigezzo and stands on a rocky precipice. By contrast, the Oratorio di San Giovanni Battista is defined by its elevation and access: it lies on the mountain above Masera at an altitude of about 800 metres and can only be reached via a mountain trail. The two oratories can therefore be distinguished by their specific locations: Sant’Abbondio is associated with the entrance from the Valle Vigezzo, while San Giovanni is associated with its elevation and mountain trail.

Panoramic Railway and Trip Planning

The Centovalli–Vigezzo Railway runs through Masera and is a panoramic railway aimed at tourists; trains depart from or stop at Masera. This adds a rail option to the walking trails, and the panoramic journey itself may be of interest. If you’re planning a train journey, the timetable is an important reference. Be sure to check current departures and ticket options in advance.

Discover more destinations: Artò, Traffiume, Cavaglio-Spoccia, Cresseglio, Madonna Del Sasso, Crevoladossola, Baveno, Arizzano.

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