Those with a weekend to spare can discover Val d’Ossola through an itinerary that combines vineyards, mountain villages and Lake Maggiore: a small yet surprisingly varied area, where different landscapes and flavours follow one another within just a few kilometres.
Day 1: Domodossola and the vineyards
The first day can be dedicated to Domodossola and the Ossola valley floor, exploring the city’s historic centre and the vineyards that climb the surrounding slopes. A tasting at our winery is a good way to understand the connection between the area and its wine from the outset, perhaps pairing the tasting with Bettelmatt or other local mountain cheeses.
Day 2, morning: the villages of the side valleys
The following morning can be dedicated to one of the side valleys of Val d’Ossola: Valle Vigezzo, with its main town Santa Maria Maggiore, or Valle Antigorio towards Alpe Devero and Cascata del Toce, for those seeking a more direct connection with the mountains.
Day 2, afternoon: Lake Maggiore
In the afternoon, heading down towards Lake Maggiore, you can visit Stresa and the nearby Borromean Islands, or travel towards Cannero Riviera to admire the evocative Castles of Cannero. A striking contrast with the morning’s mountains, all within a few dozen minutes’ drive.
An itinerary to adapt to your own schedule
This is only a basic outline: Val d’Ossola lends itself to being explored at a leisurely pace, perhaps extending your stay by a day so that you do not have to choose between mountains and lake. The articles dedicated to each village, linked in this itinerary, help you explore the individual stops in greater depth and create a tailor-made route.
For opening times of the sites and attractions mentioned in the itinerary, the reference point is the Tourist District of the Lakes, Mountains and Valleys of Ossola.
An itinerary to personalise
Each stop on this weekend itinerary can be adapted according to personal interests: mountain lovers can devote more time to the side valleys, those who prefer relaxation can focus on the lake and its historic villas, while food and wine enthusiasts will naturally want to extend their time at the winery. It is precisely this flexibility that makes Val d’Ossola a destination suited to both a short weekend and a longer stay.
An itinerary that grows over time
Over the years, new stops naturally become part of this itinerary as new articles and new experiences are introduced in the area: one more reason to return regularly and discover what Val d’Ossola has to offer, without ever truly exhausting the possibilities of such a varied territory.
One weekend, endless possible combinations among vineyards, villages and lakes.
One weekend, endless stories still to be experienced.
One final thought: creating your own personalised itinerary by following the links to each article remains the most effective way to plan a tailor-made stay in Val d’Ossola.
One weekend, endless stories still to be experienced with us.
One weekend, endless stories still to be written together.
An itinerary to personalise
The beauty of a food and wine weekend in Val d’Ossola lies in the possibility of adapting it to your own pace: some people prefer to concentrate winery visits into a single day and devote the rest of their time to villages and lakes, while others want to alternate a different stop each day. In both cases, booking tastings in advance makes it possible to organise travel without surprises, especially during high-season weekends when wineries welcome more visitors.
A good itinerary should always leave room for a walk among the terraced vineyards, the best way to understand why viticulture in this valley is described as heroic: steep slopes, dry-stone walls and work carried out almost entirely by hand make every bottle the result of uncommon effort.
