Val Veddasca (Lombardy, Italy)

As you proceed up the right hand shore of Lake Maggiore, and enter the last part of Varese before Switzerland, a high circle of the mountains is mirrored in the waters of the basin to form a spectacular image. This is where you can find the wild and solitary Veddasca valley, nestling between the Swiss border and the Maccagno Riviera. This corner of unspoilt, impervious and rocky nature (some villages are still not accessible by road) is an ideal destination for those in search of an environment that is intact and jut as suggestive and romantic as the lakeside. From its 1,158 metre peak, Monte Borgna overlooks the Delio reservoir. This original Alpine lake was expanded in the early 1970s by the construction of two dams to generate hydro-electric power, but the plant is completely underground and its impact on the environment is minimal. The Val Veddasca area is like an open air gym, and offers a range of excursions on foot or by mountain bike. In the winter you can ski at the small Passo Forcora station with baby ski run, cross country circuit and ski-lift to the summit of Monte Cadrigna (1,300 m). A large number of cheese producers work in the pass and sell typical cheeses.