The hamlets of Montecrestese are divided between the rocky promontory shaped by the mighty Toce glacier and the Isorno river, towards the Antigorio Valley. Here you reach the beautiful hamlet of Veglio – which in recent years has seen a revival and major repopulation – with the ruins of a soaring stronghold placed to guard the commercial streets that descended from the Antigorio and Formazza valleys. People used the towers to send light signals to warn of danger or ask for help.
At the arrival of the bus to Pontemaglio, head towards the beautiful arched bridge that crosses the Toce river and enter the village of Pontemaglio. By the last houses, take a path with steps carved into the rock that leads to Veglio. This place, once abandoned, today is experiencing a significant rebirth. Climb uphill along the A02 route until you reach the trail to the quarry and, along this trail, continue until you reach the path on the left that leads to the ruins of the De Rodis fortress in Pontemaglio. From the Castello dei Picchi, as it was called in the past, take the path that leads back to Veglio and after passing the Oratory you’ll arrive at a chapel from which you take a path that leads to the Groppallo crossing and then to the village of Altoggio, the highest point of this hike. Just outside the village, take the A04 route to the centre of Montecrestese and, after passing the Piccioledo chapel, turn right onto a path that crosses a small valley and reaches the road to the village of Nava, which retains several buildings from the 15th century and was also home to the Picchi, robbers who raged in the Ossola Valley in the 17th century. The trail and mule track lead down to Lomese, the wonderful old town of Montecrestese. Here you can see the ruins of an ancient castle and many interesting stone buildings, symbols of rural architecture consisting of huts, ovens, presses, wells and old mills. The route then descends to Chezzo, a town with buildings dating back to before the 15th century. Continue along the unmarked route to Croppomarcio, with its 16th-century architecture, to conclude the trip to Oira, a hamlet in Crevoladossola that houses some refreshment areas and the bus stop, for those who choose to travel by public transport.
Sector A “Itineraries” – IA12
Domodossola FS International Railway Station (from Bern and Milan) – From the BUS terminal take the bus route for the Formazza Valley, getting off in Pontemaglio.
Contact details: Municipality of Montecrestese
CAI contact details: Domodossola Section
Refreshment areas: in Altoggio and Oira
The route is not particularly difficult, but be careful in the uphill section from Pontemaglio to Veglio.
12 km
ascent 540 m / descent 513 m
3 hrs 55 min
Walking boots
A02 – A04
Map no. 12 scale 1:25,000 of the Geo4Map/CAI
Digital maps on the following apps: ViewRanger – Avenza Maps