River deep, mountain high... To see the valley in beautiful slow motion, hop aboard the staggering Centovalli Railway. Departing from Locarno for Domodossola (Italy; 1¾ hours, 11 daily), the dinky train trundles and teeters across 83 bridges and burrows through 34 tunnels, offering gasp-eliciting views of waterfalls shooting over cliff faces, vineyards, viaducts, church-topped villages, deep ravines and sun-dappled chestnut forests, all against the puckering of mountains that are often snow-capped.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Castelgrande
23.66 MILES
Rising dramatically above the Old Town, this medieval stronghold is Bellinzona’s most visible icon. Head up Salita San Michele from Piazza Collegiata, or…
Castello di Montebello
23.82 MILES
On cloudless days, you can see Lake Maggiore from this 13th-century hilltop fortification. The fortress is one of Bellinzona’s most impressive with its…
Isole Borromeo
15.96 MILES
The Borromean Gulf forms Lake Maggiore's most beautiful corner, sheltering the Borromean Islands and their spectacular, privately owned palaces. Closest…
Villa della Porta Bozzolo
17.36 MILES
In the unassuming town of Casalzuigno, about 9km east of Laveno, generations of nobles have swanned about the magnificent gardens of Villa della Porta…
Castello Visconteo
12.53 MILES
Named after the Visconti clan that long ruled Milan, this fortified 15th-century castle’s nucleus was raised around the 10th century. It now houses a…
Fiesch & Eggishorn Cable Car
27.18 MILES
The Aletsch Glacier is a mind-boggling sight and riverside Fiesch on the valley floor is a top place to access it. From the village, ride the cable car up…
Val Bavona
16.41 MILES
A smooth road follows a mountain stream through this valley, where narrow meadows are cradled between steep rocky walls. Its tightly huddled stone and…
Simplon Pass
25.77 MILES
This mountain pass (2005m) links Brig with Domodossola in Italy. In the middle of the 17th century, Kaspar von Stockalper used it for bringing salt by…
Nearby Ticino attractions
1. Re
0.78 MILES
Re, on the Italian side, sees a procession of pilgrims on 30 April each year, a tradition that originated when a painting of the Madonna was reported to…
2. Rasa
6.27 MILES
Redolent of a more peaceful bygone age, Rasa is an utterly charming stone village, clinging to high slopes, combed through with neatly tended vegetable…
3. Gresso
7.67 MILES
Dwarfed by the scale of the mountains and forests rising above it, the close-knit hamlet of Gresso, with a population of just 30, is scenically perched at…
4. Orrido di Sant'Anna
7.72 MILES
A narrow steep-sided gorge located 3km from Cannobio. You can drive here, though the best way to come is by taking an easy, partially wooded walking path…
5. Parco Nazionale Val Grande
8.6 MILES
A wooded wilderness set amid a little-visited stretch of the Italian Alps, the Parco Nazionale Val Grande is far removed from the more domesticated beauty…
6. Intragna
8.6 MILES
Perching on a rocky ledge at the confluence of the Melezzo and Isorno rivers and looking into a valley bounded by mountain beyond mountain, Intragna has a…
7. Isole di Brissago
9.43 MILES
Marooned in the glimmering waters of Lake Maggiore, this tiny pair of islands is famous for its botanic gardens designed in the 19th century. Magnolias,…
8. Museo Casa Anatta
10.99 MILES
The late 19th century saw the arrival of ‘back to nature’ utopians, anarchists and sexual libertarians from northern Europe in Ascona. Their aspirations…