Driving tour to Val Centovalli, Locarno

At Ponte Brolla (260 m/853ft), at the mouth of the Valle Maggia (on right), the Centovalli road turns left into the fertile Pedemonte, a level area in a wider part of the Val Centovalli. After passing through the picturesque villages of Tegna (255 m/837ft) and Verscio (274 m/899ft) it comes in 2.5km/2mi to Cavigliano (296 m/971ft), where a road branches off on the right into the beautiful Val Onsernone with a view to the rear of Lake Maggiore.

After entering the Val Onsernone the road passes under a railroad bridge, over a road bridge (fine view), through a curving tunnel and over the Isorno to enter Intragna (342 m/ 1,122ft), a neat village situated on a hill between the Isorno and the Melezza. Church of San Gottardo (1738), with a fine tower (1775) 70 m/230ft high, the tallest in Ticino. The interior of the church is notable for the decorative galleries of stucco and a fine Roccoco reredos. 2km/1mi beyond the village is a parking place (view).The Museum of the Centovalli and Pedemonte has collections on handicrafts and agriculture, furniture and costumes, as well as sculptures and paintings by local artists.

From Intragna begins the increasingly winding stretch of road through the beautiful Val Centovalli ("Valley of a Hundred Valleys"), between steep hillsides covered with chestnut trees and slashed by numerous gullies, with a series of picturesquely situated little villages. 2km/1mi along the road is another parking place (view). A road goes off on the left, crosses a dam over the river and continues for 1.5km/1mi to the village of Palagnedra which has vivid 15th C. frescoes in the church of San Michele.

Beyond Palagnedra there are magnificent views down into the valley, with the river swollen into the form of a lake by the dam and Monte Limidario rearing above it. 9km/6mi from Intragna is Camedo (552 m/1,811ft), the last Swiss village (customs).The road then crosses a bridge (with parallel railroad bridge) into the village of Ponte Ribellasca (562 m/1,844ft), on the Italian frontier (Italian customs). An interesting alternative is to take the Centovallibahn, which crosses the frontier to Domodóssola.