Highlands Lakes

Along this path you will discover a world rich of ancient evidence of human life in these mountains.

You will see terraces created by dry stone walls once cultivated; the fascinating mistery of the boulder marked by cup-shaped melting pot overlooking the entire valley:  prehistoric altar intended to the naturalistic cult oriented to the sunrise, with its thirty pots and small channels connecting them, as if representing a celestial constellation.

You will have a breathtaking view from alpe Prà, the majestic flight of the eagle, which is not rare to see circling above the valley,  the descent across the beech woods and then the arrival in Pogallo, flat and sunny oasis in a harsh and wild valley, to then return to Cicogna, capital of the Val Grande, old court of the Cossogno community already in the 13th century, borderland between man and nature.

Route Description

Leave early in the morning from Cicogna (when hot in summer it is advisable to leave before 10am) and go up along the steep path until Alpe Prà, where is the refuge A.N.A. "Casa dell'Alpino" offering a spectacular view and with its specialties of simple but tasty cuisine (seasonal opening – booking is necessary).

The descent towards Pogallo, first on the ridge overlooking the Valgrande and then in the shadowy beech forest, goes through the mountain pastures of Lecciuri, Braco and Caslù, testimonies of a life spent in Valgrande.

The return from Pogallo towards Cicogna is a continuous surprise, between rocky walls and water ponds where it is possible to have a bath.

Do not miss the ponds on the torrent located along the road that from Cicogna leads to Rovegro: once you leave the car just go down the torrent and you will find places of incomparable beauty where it is impossible to resist: dive into the fresh and clear waters of the Valgrande.

This circular route coincides with the itineraries "The man-environment relationship" and  "Water and deforestation" proposed by the Parco Nazionale Val Grande.