Riva Valdobbia

Riva Valdobbia (1,112 meters) is the municipality of Valsesia from which you can enjoy the best complete view of Monte Rosa. Its strategic position, at the end of Valsesia, allows you to admire Monte Rosa and its peaks in its entirety. On a clear day, it is also possible to clearly distinguish the Capanna Margherita (4,554 meters), the highest refuge in Europe.

Riva Valdobbia is the entrance to Val Vogna, a characteristic valley of the upper Valsesia that leads to Gressoney-Saint-Jean, following the Vogna stream. From Val Vogna you can reach numerous suggestive destinations that can offer unique views and emotions. Among the best known, you can find the Ospizio Sottile refuge (2,480 meters) which connects Valsesia to the Gressoney Valley, the Abate Carestia refuge (2,201 meters) click here for more info, the Larecchio alp (1,895 meters), Cima Mutta (2,135 meters) click here for more info, the Corno Bianco (3,320 meters) and much more. Val Vogna also offers less demanding excursions such as, for example, the Alta Via del Walser, a characteristic walk that leads between hamlets and villages where time seems to have stopped, preserving the local reality of the past (read more, click here).

Riva Valdobbia was founded by the Valsesians and was one of the last areas of Valsesia inhabited by indigenous populations. During the 13th century, during the Walser colonization phase, Riva Valdobbia began to expand going up the Val Vogna where it met the Walsers of Gressoney; thanks to this meeting, the history, the territory and the culture of Riva Valdobbia are a union between the indigenous Valsesians and the Walser, making its heritage unique in the Valsesia.

Walking through the streets of Riva Valdobbia you can meet the typical Valsesian and Walser buildings, a testimony of the fusion of the two cultures. The local community preserves the traditions, culture and original buildings in an attentive way, creating the suggestion of walking in another time while visiting the village.
The parish church of San Michele Arcangelo deserves a careful visit, which has become a symbol thanks to the grandiose fresco on the facade: a Last Judgment (1597-1607), the work of the D’Enrico workshop.

After visiting the “historical” part of Riva Valdobbia, you can enjoy a suggestive walk along the bank of the Sesia river that allows you to visit the numerous hamlets of Riva Valdobbia, as well as get lost in the wonderful view of the Monte Rosa massif .

Riva Valdobbia offers a wonderful combination of ancient and modern, between nature and culture, history and views, making it a perfect destination for everyone.