Along the Antigorio Valley, the municipalities of Baceno and Premia are two important stops for those travelling up this part of the Ossola Valley towards the Formazza Valley.
Baceno, gateway to Alpe Devero
Baceno is best known as the starting point for reaching Alpe Devero, one of the area’s most beloved Alpine plateaus. The village also has a parish church of medieval origin, among the most significant architectural landmarks of the upper Ossola Valley.
For more information about Baceno, refer to the Baceno Municipal Council website; for Premia and its thermal baths, the Lake District Tourist Board provides up-to-date information on the Antigorio Valley.
Premia and its thermal springs
A little further along the valley lies Premia, a municipality known for its thermal springs, further evidence of how mountain waters have shaped the tourism history of several places in the Ossola Valley, not only in the Bognanco Valley.
For the current status of Premia’s thermal baths, refer to the Lake District Tourist Board.
A valley leading towards the high mountains
Baceno and Premia represent the middle stretch of the Antigorio Valley, between the Ossola valley floor and the higher elevations of the Formazza Valley and Alpe Devero: a transit area well worth discovering at a leisurely pace, perhaps stopping in the two villages before continuing towards the upper valley.
From the valley floor to the vineyards
Those travelling through the Antigorio Valley can easily combine their visit with a stop further down the valley, among the vineyards of the Ossola Valley, with a tasting to complete their discovery of the area.
An area to explore at a leisurely pace
Baceno and Premia are well suited to an unhurried visit, perhaps combined with a photography stop along the Toce stream, which passes through both municipalities before continuing downstream. The tranquillity of these villages, far from the busiest tourist flows of Lake Maggiore, is probably their greatest asset for those seeking an authentic connection with the mountains of Ossola.
Two municipalities, one valley
Although they retain distinct administrative identities, Baceno and Premia have always shared a common destiny linked to the Antigorio Valley: over the centuries, both villages have seen agricultural economies, the use of thermal resources and, more recently, nature tourism alternate, enhancing their proximity to the highest mountains of Ossola.
The Church of San Gaudenzio
At the heart of Baceno stands the Church of San Gaudenzio, a 13th-century Romanesque-Gothic building that is an important religious, cultural and historical landmark for the entire valley. The church is renowned for its Renaissance frescoes, begun towards the end of the 15th century and completed only in 1542 with the large Crucifixion on the right wall of the presbytery.
Croveo and the witches of the Antigorio Valley
The hamlet of Croveo is known for the many witchcraft trials that, between the 16th and 17th centuries, led to the burning at the stake mainly of women and, in some cases, men from the village, accused of witchcraft according to the beliefs of the time. Every year, on the last weekend of July, Croveo commemorates this dark chapter in its history with the event “Witches of the Antigorio Valley”, which combines historical remembrance with the promotion of the area.
An itinerary that takes in both municipalities makes it possible to grasp the dual identity of the Antigorio Valley in a single day: the spiritual and artistic side of Baceno, and the thermal and natural side of Premia.
In short, an area that deserves more than a simple stop along the road to the upper valley.
Two villages, one mountain spirit to discover at a leisurely pace.
Two municipalities, one great mountain story.
Thermal baths, history and mountains, all within easy reach.
An authentic area, to experience at your own pace.
