Holiday apartment in Viganella: Mountain history, church art and hiking trails
Accommodation in Viganella
Viganella between mountain history and natural landscapes
Viganella combines its historic centre with traces of mining, religious art and hiking trails. The centre lies on a rocky promontory between two small watercourses. The lease of a smelting furnace in Vai Magliasca, in the municipality of Viganella, is documented for 21 July 1217. The village’s rural architecture also reflects the historic community of miners and charcoal burners.
Churches, houses and fixed dates
Viganella’s first church was built in 1614; its restoration was completed in 1657. The Church of the Nativity of Mary contains six paintings depicting the Mysteries of the Virgin Mary, painted by Giuseppe Mattia Borgnis in 1747.
The festive calendar adds further fixed dates. The annual Candelora takes place on 2 February and includes the Pescia, a fir tree decorated with typical handicraft and gastronomic products. The patron saint’s festival of Santa Maria is celebrated on 8 September. The annual blessing of the alpine pastures concludes on 10 July or the following Sunday at the chapel of Alpe Cavallo.
Casa Vanni, also known as Casa con colonnato (Ca' dul van), is a historic house in Viganella with a significant 17th-century colonnade and was the residence of a respected notary family. Casa Vanni houses a wine museum. The old tower of Viganella’s Casaforte contains an iron museum and an information centre for the Viganella area.
Hiking trails from the village and into the nature park
The route “Le frazioni di Viganella lungo la Via del Ferro” leads from the Viganella district through its historic centre to Casa Vanni and then along a short section of the Strada Antronesca towards Seppiana. Hiking trail IC26, Sentiero dei Partigiani “Ugo Miazza”, is named after the Viganella partisan Ugo Miazza.
“Tra i Ciottoli della Fede” is a circular hiking trail that starts and ends at Viganella’s church square. Allow around three hours of walking for the route; time spent visiting the places of worship is additional. The route is also suitable for hikers without specialised training.
The Viganella–Rifugio Alpe della Colma route begins in Viganella and follows trails C00, C09 and SI. It runs entirely through the Alta Valle Antrona Nature Park. The starting point of this route is connected by the Domodossola–Antronapiana bus line. In the village, the Specchio di Viganella directs its reflected beam of light onto the pedestrian area of the main square and the porch of the parish church.
Holiday apartment in Viganella for planning your day
When choosing a holiday apartment in Viganella, you can decide in advance what to focus on: historic buildings, church art and dated festivals, or hiking trails connected with the nature park. Concrete starting points in Viganella, the connection between the starting point of the Alpe della Colma route and the bus line, and the different character of the trails can help you make this decision. This allows you to choose your accommodation based on the experiences you want to combine: culture in the village, fixed dates or days of hiking.
Further destinations for planning your trip include Bracchio, Macugnaga, Gurrone, Intra, Pallanza, Miazzina, Piedilago and Crevoladossola.
For the higher-level travel overview: Verbano-Cusio-Ossola.
