Stresa Lake Maggiore Trekking Hiking Tours: Alpe Devero Park - Lepontine Alps

"Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better" - Albert Einstein quote

- ALPE DEVERO PARK

We are in the Italian Lake District, particularly in the lake Maggiore area, a beautiful territory that offers incredible sceneries: medieval villages, gorgeous towns, historic villas, wonderful lakeside gardens and...high mountains, the Alps, with breathtaking views!

This excursion takes you to the northernmost point of Piedmont, between Lake Maggiore and Switzerland, in the

so called Ossola valley in the Alps. This portion of the Alps includes the Pennine & the Lepontine Alps as well as the impressive massif of Mount Rosa, the second highest peak

in western Europe! Alpe Devero itself is located in the Lepontine Alps.

Description

Alpe Devero is part of a larger protected area known as Veglia-Devero Regional Park established by Piedmont region which includes two different parks: Veglia and Devero.

Alpe Devero is a truly untouched part of the Italian Alps, little known to tourists and foreigners but absolutely worth knowing and worth visiting. Alpe Devero - and, generally speaking, all alpine valleys in Ossola - can rival famous mountain resorts in the Dolomites and in the rest of the Alps. Devero Park can easily be reached by car and minibus. Vehicles are to be parked in designated areas at the entrance to the park. After a few minutes' walk visitors find themselves in a grassy plain (snowy in winter!) embellished by three groups of traditional mountain houses and by a pretty little church.

Once there in the "Piana di Devero" ( Devero plain), the park offers many hiking options: family-friendly hikes, easy walks, moderate hikes as well as strenuous hikes and more challenging multi-day treks. For the laziest holidaymakers it is even possible to stop in the Devero plain (1 600 metres a.s.l.) and enjoy a unique alpine scenery without any additional walking.

An easy walk suitable for all is the path that leads up through the woods to the Witches lake ( or Blue Lake) near the settlement of Crampiolo, at 1 800 m a.s.l. The scenery is outstanding and the walk lasts just about 30 minutes. From Crampiolo it's possible to climb higher towards the dyke and breathtaking lake Devero and as you approach the lake, the views get better and better. At this point you may will to enjoy a circular walk around the lake before descending back to the little hamlet of Crampiolo and then to Devero plain.