Monte Rosa. Alagna and Macugnaga: two sides of the mountain and Walser culture

At the foot of Monte Rosa, between Valsesia and the Anzasca Valley, two villages embody and reflect the two complementary souls of one of the most spectacular mountain ranges in the Alps. On the Valsesian side, Alagna preserves the intact heritage of the Walser community, which settled here in the 13th century: stone and timber houses, ancient hamlets and ethnographic museums line the dense network of footpaths criss-crossing the Alta Valsesia Nature Park. The ski lifts of the Monterosa Ski area take you to Pianalunga, the Passo dei Salati (the starting point of the Cimalegna Geological and Pedological Trail) and, via the Indren cable car, the high-altitude points from which routes lead to the Gnifetti and Mantova mountain huts and the ascents of Monte Rosa, culminating at Capanna Margherita, Europe’s highest mountain hut. Summer also comes alive to the sounds of the Alagna Music Festival (1–4 August), a festival dedicated to classical and chamber music that attracts world-class artists. On the Ossola side, Macugnaga offers breathtaking views of the over 2,000-metre-high rock face of the Monte Rosa’s east face. From the Walser-style village, the ski lifts take you to the Belvedere Glacier, the wildlife reserve of the same name and the Moro Pass, whilst a more relaxing walk with picture-postcard views leads to Lago delle Fate in Val Quarazza (a side valley of the Anzasca Valley), linked to an ancient legend of gnomes and gold prospectors.

https://www.alagna.it/

https://macugnaga-monterosa.com/