Centovalli Railway: all tickets and tours

• The Centovalli Railway runs over 83 bridges and viaducts and through many tunnels.
• You travel for around two hours through largely untouched nature with small settlements. The route is 51.25 km long.
• The route runs for long stretches directly along the beautiful River Melezza. It flows into the River Maggia after 42 km.
• Centovalli (100 valleys) refers to the large number of branching valleys along the Melezza riverbed.
• You will see a number of beautiful waterfalls and extensive forests along the way.
• The Centovalli Railway is a narrow-gauge railroad with a track gauge of 1000 mm.

The Centovalli Railway runs between Locarno (FART station) and Domodossola. The leisurely narrow-gauge railroad crosses many valleys over a total of 83 bridges and viaducts on a route of almost 52 km. The journey takes around two hours. This gives you the opportunity to admire the beautiful nature along the way. In addition to the many valleys (there are probably not really 100), you will see wooded mountains and hills and a number of waterfalls that plunge into the Melezza River. The river accompanies you for 42 km between Malesco and where it flows into the Maggia near Locarno.

All stations of the Centovalli Railway:

• Locarno FART (start or destination)
• Locarno S. Antonio
• Ponte Brolla (only stop to get off)
• Intragna
• Camedo
• Centovalli
• Re
• Malesco
• S. Maria Maggiore
• Druogno
• Trontano
• Masera
• Domodossola (start or destination)

The first section from Locarno goes through a tunnel. The tunnel ends at the Solduno S. Martino stop. The route continues through the Maggiatal until reaching Ponte Brolla. The actual Centovalli starts at Intragna, where the incline of the track becomes steeper.

In Italy, the train continues from Centovalli through the Valle Vigezzo, reaching the highest point of the route at Santa Maria Maggiore, which is 836 m above sea level. From here, it descends again. Between the towns of Trontano and Masera, the slope in the Toce valley is particularly steep (60 per mille). The station at Domodossola is the final stop and is also underground.

• Centovalli Train Ticket

The Centovalli and the Valle Vigezzo as a whole are still known today as "the valley of the chimney sweeps". From the 16th century onwards, children from poor families in the valley were often hired out as chimney sweep assistants. They were mostly sent to northern Italy, especially Milan. They were small children who were adept at climbing down narrow chimneys. They were called "Rüsca".

You can visit a museum about the Rüsca in Santa Maria Maggiore. The Chimney Sweep Museum (Museo dello Spazzacamino) at Villa Antonia has an interactive and multimedia exhibition. Even today, chimney sweeps come to Santa Maria Maggiore for a meeting on the first weekend in September. In the neighboring village of Malesce, there is a memorial to a young chimney sweep who fell from a roof in 1929 at the age of 12.

The two termini, Locarno and Domodossola, are definitely worth a visit. We'll tell you what you can see in these cities.

Locarno

Locarno is a beautiful city in Ticino. It offers a romantic lakeside promenade along Lake Maggiore. The old town, with its famous Piazza Grande, is also very lovely and inviting. The pilgrimage church, Madonna del Sasso, is located on a hillside, providing the best views of the stunning panorama. You can reach it easily from the city center via a funicular.

Domodossola

Domodossola features a charming historic center that was recently renovated. There’s also a special site on the outskirts of the city. You can visit the Sacro Monte di Domodossola there. This pilgrimage site is part of the famous Sacri Monti, which are found both in Piedmont and Lombardy. Since 2003, they have been part of the UNESCO World Heritage in Northern Italy.

The places of Centovalli along the railway line are as follows from Ponte Brolla:

• Intragna
• Camedo
• Centovalli

Intragna

Intragna has a very beautiful medieval town center and is surrounded by vineyards and old chestnut trees. The partially accessible bell tower San Gottardo, at 65 m, is the tallest in Ticino. Interestingly, the small village has four churches.

Camedo

Camedo is located on a sunny southern slope. The tiny village has only 20 inhabitants and is known for its position on the Centovalli railway line and the so-called Market Path. The Via del Mercato connects Locarno and Domodossola over 62 km and is now often used as a hiking trail.

Centovalli TI

The municipality of Centovalli TI includes countless small villages. One of the villages is Rasa, which is considered a typical Ticinese village and is well-preserved. It also has only 20 residents year-round. The church of Sant’Anna has three altars and dates back to the 18th century. Rasa even has a cable car to Verdasio. Camedo and Intragna have also since become part of the municipality of Centovalli.

The towns in Valle Vigezzo on the Italian side of the railroad line include

• Re
• Malesco
• S. Maria Maggiore
• Druogno
• Trontano
• Masera

Re

The village with the short name Re is a famous place of pilgrimage. The Madonna del Sangue pilgrimage church resembles a mosque from a distance. It was built in the 20th century after the 17th century church could no longer accommodate the many pilgrims. The two churches are now connected.

according to tradition, a miracle took place here in 1494. The fresco of a Maria lactans is said to have wept bloody tears for 20 days after being struck by a stone.

Malesco

More than 1000 inhabitants live in Malesco. The components of the ecomuseum are particularly worth seeing. The Basilisco fountain next to the frescoed church depicts a dragon climbing on a stone. The old Mulino dul Tač mill is also part of the ecomuseum.

Santa Maria Maggiore

The village with the beautiful name has four churches, of which the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta is considered one of the three most beautiful churches in Ossola. The valley of the Toce is known as the Ossola Valley. Only the bell tower remains from the original church, the rest was rebuilt in the 18th century. The frescoes inside make the church so uniquely beautiful.

Druogno

Druogno is also a village with more than 1000 inhabitants. The church is decorated with frescoes. There are also four oratories and a prayer chapel, mostly from the 17th and 18th centuries. A summer mountain colony from the 1930s now houses a large multimedia museum exhibition. It is called Museo UniversiCà and shows traditions and trades of the early 20th century.

Trontano

Trontano lies between vineyards. There is a nature trail between Trontano and Verigo. In addition to nature, you can also discover the old mills of the Rio Graglia. Six small stone mills stand by the river, explained by information boards.

Masera

You will also find a church decorated with frescoes in this village. It was built in the 19th century to replace a church from the 11th century on the same site. The Oratory of San Rocco has frescoes dating back to 1402. An old signal tower from the 15th century stands not far from the village. The Torrente Melezzo Occidentale river flows directly past Masera. It comes from the Valle Vigezzo and flows into the River Toce not far from Masera.

The Gran Via del Devero is a beautiful and interesting hiking trail through the Italian Alps. You walk along paths that were used centuries ago to cross the Ossola region and reach Switzerland. You pass through the idyllic Val d'Ossola and walk around Monte Cistella.

The alpine trekking route starts in the Ossola plain and connects the Antigorio, Buscagna, Cairasca and Divedro valleys. From Domodossola and Crevoladossola, you reach Foppiano, Alpe Devero and Alpe Veglia. In total, the route covers around 90 km and 9000 meters in altitude.

The Centovalli Railway is something special. Not only does it cross 83 bridges, it also passes through many tunnels. It travels comfortably through the Centovalli and Vigezzo valleys, making it extremely popular. This also brings tourism to the valleys, which for many decades were plagued by bitter poverty despite their beauty.