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Italy is clearly one of Europe’s most beloved countries, whether you delve deep into history, indulge in unforgettable meals or witness some of the world’s most renowned art.
If you’re a traveler who takes a ‘been there, done that’ approach to Italy, has already visited the Colosseum, hopped the Amalfi Coast or tried to get answers to world secrets in the Vatican, then you’re in for an epic journey. You.
Despite being off the radars of most travelers, the Centovalli Railway has been around for over a century and transports passengers from some of Italy’s most beautiful hidden gems, nestled in the countryside, and across to Switzerland.
The Centovalli Railway: one of the world’s most beautiful railway routes
The Centovalli Railway has been declared one of the ‘largest train journeys‘ in the world, and rightly so.
This historic train route passes through vibrant lakes on both sides of the Italy-Switzerland border and through picturesque villages, giving travelers the chance to experience a side of Italy not often shown.
Not that I am the best language teacher when I have visited Mexico hundreds of times and can hardly say: “un cerveza por favor”, the name ‘Centovalli Railways’ is an ode to the 100 valleys it whizzes past.
cents = one hundred
valli = valley
Simple enough.
The trains may be relatively small, as the entire journey only takes two hours in total, but you’ll want to grab a window seat and have your camera ready for the amazing scenery, ranging from rushing waterfalls to sprawling vineyards.
Starting in Domodossola, discover Italy Storybook cities and countryside
If you are traveling from Italy to Switzerland, your starting point is Domodossolaa city you’ve probably never heard of that exudes medieval charm, with a beautiful old town and timeless squares.
From here you will continue through seven Alpine valleys, where your next stop will be Maserawith remains from the Roman past and several centuries-old churches.
There are 24 stops between the starting point of Domodossola and the end point on the Swiss side, Locarno.
Before you reach the Swiss border, you’ll come across even more hidden gems as worthy exit points, such as Dissima small village straight out of a fairy tale with easy access to the lush nature in the mountains of Monte Dissimo and marked by the unmissable Chiesa Parrocchiale di S.Caterina.
Another one thing that Country Living highlighted was Druognoa great place to get off the train and explore on foot or by car bicycle.
For a complete list of stops on the Centovalli Railway, click here.
The best of both worlds: visit The shared alpine lakes of Italy and Switzerland
Once you reach Camedo you are on Swiss territory. Switzerland is known for four things: high prices, excellent cheese, beautiful lakes, and famous traveler Anthony Bourdain refused to visit due to a bizarre fear of yodelers and feathered hats.
The good news for you is that he really missed something. While yodelling may be a boredom-killer for iPads and PlayStations, once you cross the Swiss border, your screen time will surely disappear.
Ponte Brolla is the train stop to aim for to discover otherworldly mountain lakes and beautiful gorges.
Depending on the season (preferably summer), you’ll find swimmable waterfalls, vibrant caves and an array of charming small towns along the Maggia Valley.
One of these is Locarno, the terminus of the railway and a perfect place to rest and enjoy the delights of Switzerland, while not spending as much as in Switzerland’s big cities such as Basel and Zurich.
For the sample size, the cozy Residenze dell’Angelo hotel costs only $60 per night.
Ticket prices and how to get there
The Centovalli Railway makes it very easy to plan your trip in advance. You can reserve seats when booking and also indicate which stops you are interested in.
Just know the The Domodossola-Masera section will be out of service until March 14, 2025but will be replaced by a bus as an alternative means of transport.
That said, you can choose 1st class seats for around $41 and 2nd class seats for around $31 on their website.
To reach Domodossola, the nearest airport is Milan (MXP), approximately 65 kilometers away.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, and not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.
