Province VB
Domodossola, VB
The main town of the Ossola valleys, at the foot of the Alps on the Toce plain a few kilometres from the Swiss border. It is above all a railway junction, on the Simplon line from Milan to Brig and the metre-gauge Vigezzina-Centovalli line to Locarno, and its arcaded medieval market square is the meeting point for the surrounding valleys.
Sights
- Piazza Mercato, the arcaded medieval and Renaissance market square at the heart of the old town
- Sacro Monte Calvario, a devotional hill of chapels, part of the UNESCO Sacri Monti, with the ruins of the Mattarella castle on the same hill
- Palazzo Silva, a Renaissance townhouse and one of the better surviving noble buildings of the centre
- Collegiata dei Santi Gervasio e Protasio, rebuilt 1792 to 1798
- The station of 1888, as the physical expression of the town's role
Things to do
- Take the Vigezzina-Centovalli train to Locarno, a narrow-gauge mountain line through the Val Vigezzo and the Swiss Centovalli, which can be looped back by lake steamer
- Go to the Saturday market in Piazza Mercato for Ossola cheeses and cured meats
- Walk up the Sacro Monte Calvario for the chapel route and the valley view
Annual events
September
Domosofia
Festival of ideas with talks, performances and outdoor screenings across the old town, running annually since 2017.
December
Christmas markets
A large stall market through the central streets and squares.
When to visit
September for Domosofia and clear Alpine weather, or October for the Val Vigezzo autumn colour from the train.
