Dive into the history and culture of the fairytale village at the back of the Maggia Valley with dreamlike stone houses.
by Marc Gottwald
A fairy tale world from the past
Such a trip would be really exciting, wouldn’t it?
Then we have something for you on one condition:
Forget the car avalanches in the city, the exhaust fumes, the noise and the hustle and bustle. Promised?
Well! Your journey begins and welcome to Foroglio, a remote mountain village in Ticino.
One might think that magicians have created a beautiful fairytale world here.
It is hard for us to imagine that time seems to have stood still in Foroglio.
And that’s exactly why the small village in Val Bavona has such a charm. The countless stone houses built with love and manpower and the roaring waterfall in the background create a perfect picture.
It is hardly surprising that Foroglio is becoming more and more popular and well-known.
No, do not worry!
But this pretty little Ticino village is far from overcrowded, especially in winter hardly anyone dares to go there! Let’s face it, it’s also quite cold here as the sun hides behind the massive mountains during the winter months.
Sun or not. The village with the wonderful stone houses is an absolute highlight.
“Why does it only have stone houses?” asks a surprised tourist. A legitimate question, but one that becomes clear when you know that the Val Bavona is the rockiest, barrenst and steepest valley in the Alps.
Stones were simply taken as resources because they are the most available on site. So it is not surprising that there are often rock falls and rock slides.
Terraces of Foroglio
Roman influence
By the way: would you have thought that the Romans had an influence in Foroglio and in Ticino in general?
If the stories of the Romans have always fascinated you, then you need to listen carefully now.
It was the Romans who brought chestnuts and vines into the valley. The chestnut tree was regarded as the tree of life, as it secured the livelihood of the residents for centuries with few other products. The former meager way of life becomes clear when you see that not even 2% of the soil in the valley is fertile.
Already impressive. Could you imagine living like this?
By the way, many houses date from the 16th century, as well as the Oratory of the Holy Virgin Mary, which was rebuilt in the 18th century.
The Val Bavona with Foroglio is definitely worth a visit.
The most important things in brief
Anyone who loves old fairytale worlds will really get their money’s worth in Foroglio.
In the winter months there is no sun in the valley, but there are almost no tourists.
Get here: from April 1, 2019 to October 31, 2019 3x/day accessible by post bus (see www.sbb.ch); All year round by car (40 minutes from Locarno); free parking available
Food: La Froda open from April 1st, 2019
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