Val d’Ossola is a surprising alpine world, at the far north of Piedmont, where the mountains grow high and severe: seven valleys branching out from Domodossola towards Monte Rosa, Switzerland and the great nature parks. It’s a land of stone villages, Walser culture, waterfalls, thermal waters and trails, still little touched by mass tourism. Here you’ll find where to stay best, with the small addresses we choose one by one, never by hearsay.
It’s a destination for all seasons: a summer of hiking and cool waters, an autumn of spectacular foliage, a winter on the snow. The choice of where to sleep depends on what you’re after: the convenience of a well-connected base town, the atmosphere of a valley village, or real mountains at the foot of the great peaks. Let’s look at the main areas.
Domodossola, the gateway to Ossola
Domodossola is the heart and the gateway of Val d’Ossola: a small town with a charming medieval old town, its arcaded square and the famous Saturday market, and an important international railway hub on the Simplon line, between Milan and Switzerland. Above the town, the Sacro Monte Calvario is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s the handiest, best-connected base for exploring all the valleys, ideal for those arriving by train. The addresses we choose in town:
B&B La Quana
An adults-only bed and breakfast in Domodossola, with mountain views, a garden and free private parking. The quiet of a panoramic retreat, ideal for skiers and hikers, with the town and the station a short distance away. A well-kept welcome and silence. Perfect for a couple using Domodossola as a base for the valleys.
Residenza Elsa
A snug guest house in the heart of Domodossola, with a sauna, a garden and rooms fitted with a private kitchen. The convenience of a base in the centre, a stone’s throw from the market and the station, with a touch of wellness to relax after excursions. Ideal for those exploring Ossola who want independence and relaxation in town.
Locanda Piemonte da Sciolla
A historic inn in the heart of Domodossola, set in a 14th-century tower, with an organic-cuisine restaurant and rooms with a balcony and a view. The charm of sleeping inside the town’s history, with good food on the doorstep. Ideal for those after atmosphere, local flavours and a very central position.
All the small hotels in Domodossola →
Santa Maria Maggiore and the Vigezzo Valley
The Vigezzo Valley, “the valley of painters”, is one of the loveliest in Ossola, a green plateau dotted with villages. Its centre is Santa Maria Maggiore, among the loveliest villages in Italy, famous for the Chimney Sweep Museum and for the great International Chimney Sweep Gathering, which every year in early September fills the village. The Vigezzina-Centovalli also sets off from here, the scenic little train that links Domodossola to Locarno, in Switzerland, spectacular in the autumn colours. The choice for those after an authentic village set in the green:
Nido di Laura
A family-run guest house in the heart of Santa Maria Maggiore, a stone’s throw from the Vigezzina-Centovalli station, with panoramic balconies and free parking. The convenience of having the village and the foliage train on the doorstep, between walks and good air. Ideal for discovering the Vigezzo Valley at a relaxed pace, in every season.
Crodo and the Antigorio Valley, a land of wellness
Climbing the Antigorio Valley towards Formazza, Crodo is a land of waters and wellness, set among the woods between the Lepontine Alps. It’s known for its springs and its closeness to the Premia thermal baths, and offers an intact natural setting, perfect for relaxation and excursions. A little higher up, the valley climbs to Formazza, with the spectacular Toce Waterfall. The choice for those after nature, quiet and a little pampering:
Hotel Belvedere Wellness&SPA
A wellness hotel in Crodo, in Val d’Ossola, with an indoor pool, a sauna and a Turkish bath, mountain-view rooms and free parking. The pleasure of wellness set among the woods, after a day of trails and waterfalls. The quiet of the mountains with a touch of relaxation. Ideal for a rejuvenating escape away from the crowds.
Macugnaga and Monte Rosa
At the end of the Anzasca Valley, Macugnaga sits at the foot of the majestic East wall of Monte Rosa, the only Himalayan-type wall in the Alps, a unique sight. It’s one of the capitals of Walser culture in Piedmont, with its characteristic wood-and-stone houses, and it’s a destination loved both in winter, for skiing, and in summer, for high-altitude hiking at the foot of the giant. It’s the choice for lovers of real mountains. The places are on the dedicated page: all the small hotels in Macugnaga →
When to go
Summer
The season of trails: hiking at the foot of Monte Rosa, waterfalls like the Toce, cool waters and lively villages. It’s the best time for high altitude and for discovering the valleys on foot or by bike, with the mountain cool and the long days of light. In September, in Santa Maria Maggiore, the Chimney Sweep Gathering fills the valley.
Autumn
The foliage season: the woods light up with red and gold, and the scenic Vigezzina-Centovalli train offers one of the loveliest journeys in Europe among the colours. It’s a magical, romantic period, ideal for walks and for enjoying the mountains in their most striking guise.
Winter
The snow season: Macugnaga and Formazza offer pistes and high-mountain settings at the foot of the great peaks, while the valleys dress in white. It’s the time for skiing and snowshoeing, with the villages cosy and the alpine atmosphere of cold days. It’s worth checking the lift openings before you set off.
Getting here
Domodossola is an international railway hub on the Simplon line, between Milan and Bern: it’s easily reached by train, and it’s from here that the connections and the Vigezzina little train set off for the valleys. By car you arrive from the Gravellona Toce exit of the A26 motorway, then climb each valley by road. For the more inland valleys and the mountain villages, a car remains the handiest option.
For the full picture on trains, roads and getting around the region: how to get to Piedmont. Val d’Ossola pairs well with Lake Maggiore and Verbania; on the other side of Monte Rosa lies Alagna Valsesia.
This guide is part of our grand tour of the region: discover all the destinations and areas in Where to Stay in Piedmont.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the questions we’re asked most often about where to stay in Val d’Ossola.
Which is the best base to stay in Val d’Ossola?
Domodossola is the handiest choice: it’s the gateway town of the valley, well connected by train and with more services, central to all the valleys. Those after real mountains can sleep in Macugnaga, at the foot of Monte Rosa; those wanting an authentic village in the green in Santa Maria Maggiore, and those after wellness in Crodo.
What is the Vigezzina-Centovalli little train?
It’s a scenic tourist railway that links Domodossola to Locarno, in Switzerland, crossing the Vigezzo Valley and the Centovalli among bridges and tunnels. It’s famous above all in autumn as the “foliage train”, for the spectacular colours of the woods. An unmissable experience, to be paired with a stay in the valley.
What is there to see in Val d’Ossola?
The old town of Domodossola and its UNESCO Sacro Monte, the village of Santa Maria Maggiore in the “valley of painters”, the East wall of Monte Rosa at Macugnaga with its Walser villages, and the waterfalls and thermal waters of the inner valleys. It’s a land of authentic mountains, ideal for nature, hiking and relaxation.
When is the best time to go to Val d’Ossola?
In summer for hiking and cool waters, in autumn for the foliage spectacle and the Vigezzina train, in winter for the snow at Macugnaga and Formazza. It’s a destination for all seasons: the choice depends on what you’re after, between mountains, nature and relaxation.
How do you get to Val d’Ossola?
By train, with Domodossola an international railway hub on the Simplon line between Milan and Switzerland; from there the Vigezzina train and the connections climb towards the valleys. By car you arrive from the Gravellona Toce exit of the A26. For the more inland valleys a car is the handiest option.
