Bognanco Valley

 Luxuriant vegetation and crystal waters 

A mere 7 km from Domodossola, the Bognanco Valley features luxuriant vegetation and an abundance of pure water springs. And in fact water is the main attraction of the village of Bognanco, the largest in the valley.  

The curative properties of Bognanco’s water were discovered in the second half of the 19th century, prompting the establishment of a spa in the Spring Park. Set amidst gardens and verdant woods, the Spa transformed the valley into a renowned tourist resort which is still well-known all over Italy and in Europe.

Above an altitude of 650 metres the valley opens out into a wooded dell surrounded by rugged Alpine passes. The village of San Lorenzo, at an altitude of 935 metres, is the administrative and religious centre of the valley.

The striking cirque in the upper part of the Bognanco Valley is an ideal setting for a number of hiking trails, as well as containing tarns suitable for a refreshing bathe. Some of the major European hiking trails skirt the valley’s peaks, such as the Via Alpina (from Trieste to the principality of Monaco), the Grand Alpine Trail (from Sicily to Trieste), which has three of its stages in the valley, and the Via del Monscera, linking (via Bognanco) the Sacro Monte Calvario of Domodossola, Gondo, and Brig on the other side of the Simplon Pass, where it joins the famous Stockalperweg.