Formazza
Geography:
Formazza is the northern most municipal area of the Piedmont region in the North-West of Italy where the Toce river starts its 84 Km journey.
Formazza’s territory has its lowest point at 900m above sea level at the entrance of the valley on the south side and, with a continuous elevation gain, it reaches its highest peak at 3375m a.s.l. to the north. The mountain range surrounding the valley defines an obvious border between the Italian and the Swiss territories which can be crossed only by long hiking trails.
Community:
The Formazza’s valley was initially inhabited around the 13th century by the Walser community. These people coming from the southern valleys of the Swiss territories, settled in the high regions of the Alps that today define the borders between Switzerland, Italy and Austria.
The influence of Formazza’s first settlers is still visible today within its architecture and language, a German-based dialect kept alive by the few descendants of this ancient community.
Each of the 11 villages scattered around the main road still use the original Walser names alongside the Italian name.
Ponte (Zumsteg), the biggest village, is home of the Townhall and information centre as well as most of the small local shops of the valley. In Ponte you can also find the little Walser museum located at the "Casa Forte" an historical bulding that, during the 16th century, served as town hall, safe storage for community's valuables as well as jail.
Frua, near the end of the road, is where one of the biggest attractions of the valley is located. The 143 meters high waterfall known as “Cascata del toce” is one of the most visited and photographed waterfalls in Europe.
Events:
Many events take place in the valley, most of them during the summer season.
For further information on events, visit
http://www.valformazza.it/
Some annual events are:
Sbrinz-Route:
The Sbrinz-Route is an historical commercial way that crosses the high Alpine passes between the town of Lucern in Switzerland and the town of Domodossola in Italy. Each summer a convoy of swiss merchants, walk this route with their horses and mules and trade their products along the way. Around the end of August, this group of traders reaches Formazza where the locals greet them with a few days of festivities. This is a great opportunity for everyone to jump back into the past and experience some authentic Walser events.
Gries pass fest:
On the first sunday of August, the Walser communities of Formazza (Italy) and Goms (Switzerland), come together to celebrate a summer day at the Gries pass which defines the border between the two valleys and countries.
Bettelmatt Ultra Trail (BUT):
The BUT is a trail running competition that attracts international athletes. The competition has different runs to accomodate amateur to expert trail runners. The competition usually take place around the month of July. For further information visit https://bettelmattultratrail.it/
Local food:
Local farmers and producers have all what the food lovers need. Local cheeses, salamis and traditional cooked meals can be found at any shop and restaurant throughout the valley including our hut.
And, if you are visiting the hut between the end of July and the middle of august, you’ll probably find yourself surrounded by brown cows roaming free in Bettelmatt and Morasco’s alpine pastures. Here you can see how the Bettelmatt cheese, one of the rarest cheeses in the world, is produced.