An unforgettable day of tourism in the enchanting Val Formazza, reaching the municipality of the same name is always a great experience visiting the northernmost territory of the Piedmont region highlighted by landscapes of immense charm in a space where the Western Italian Alps form the border with the Swiss ones, exactly between the province of Verbania-Cusio-Ossola and the Swiss Cantons of Ticino and Valais.
Formazza is formed by scattered villages consisting of small settlements characterized by mountain huts and Walser houses, built in the Middle Ages at the foot of Alpine massifs of unique beauty by the Walser, descendants of the first Germanic-speaking emigrants from the Canton of Bern who moved in this Piedmontese valley and this site was historically the first Walser settlement south of the Alps, also called Pomatt.
With its historical heritage, it is a wonderful opportunity to discover the history of this community, the charm of this important climatic, skiing and tourist resort, including the great chance to get to know and taste the famous and delicious Bettelmatt, a local cheese that always delights the palates of various gourmets.
I suggest to start your visit from the hamlet of Canza Frütwaald where you can admire a group of typical houses built in larch by the previously mentioned Walser..
Continuation with the hamlet Chiesa known in the Walser language as Zer Chilchu where the Cemetery of the Community in which the characteristic wooden crosses of the same size stand out to honor the dead.
In the immediate vicinity stands the Church of Saints Bernardino and Carlo, built in 1600 on a chapel consecrated in 1398, it is a beautiful building with a fine, gabled façade and a long roof flanked on one side by an imposing bell tower.
Afterwards you can enter in the nucleus of Ponte where you will notice the presence of a school that still teaches the Walser language, Casa Forte now the Walser museum, a building dating back to 1600 that was the home of the Ammano, the local patriarch and also the Church of Santa Caterina built in 1661 but widely remodeled in 1884.
You can continue with the village of Riale at an altitude of 1718.0 meters, a well-known holiday destination, excellent destination for excursion tourism and ski resorts with the nearby Valdo, the northernmost municipal area where you can see the impressive Morasco Dam 55.0 meters high and 565.0 meters long.
Once you reach the hamlet of Frua you will be in the point of the beautiful Toce Waterfalls which are located at an altitude of 1675.0 meters descending from an impressive reclining rocky spur of over 200.0 meters forming a spectacular jump of 143.0 meters.
In its immediate vicinity in 1863 the first hotel was built, which began the glories of accommodation tourism in this mountainous area, hosting the first tourists who came to admire this wonder of nature.
In Formazza you can visit a dairy farm that has been producing the delicious Bettelmatt cheese which takes its name from the alp that marks the border with nearby Switzerland.
At an altitude of 2100.0 meters above sea level there is the production of this Piedmontese dairy emblem called in the past Mattolina, Muttolina or Mutellina, a name deriving from the type of local grass,one of the main components that gives this exquisite product its characteristic yellowish hue.
This dairy icon of the province of Verbania-Cusio-Ossola is produced from June until the end of September. Its history began in 1300 when the Walser shepherds dedicated themselves to the summit of the summer pastures such as the aforementioned Bettelmatt, Kastel, Vannino, Toggia all in Val Formazza but also in Forno, Sangiatto and Poiala located in the nearby Antigorio Valley at altitudes between 1800.0 and 2400.0 meters
This delicious dairy masterpiece was originally for family use as an edible reserve during the winter season and then as a bargaining chip, payment of taxes, rent or sale in the markets furtherdownstream.
In 1710 its name appeared in the well-known archives of the influential Borromeo family with the name "Bettelmatto", reaching various towns on the shores of Lake Maggiore and the interior of Vergante with great success.
The raw cow's milk used for its elaboration is that of local brown cows fed on pasture with mountain fodder, bringing it after milking to temperatures between 32.0 and 35.0 degrees, a method very similar to that of the famous Fontina Valdostana.
Once this operation is completed, natural liquid rennet is added and coagulation will take place in just half an hour.
This will be followed by the breaking of the curd with the masses placed in moulds, lightly pressed before the stewing phase carried out at 22.0 degrees to generate holes.
It will then be salted dry or in brine for 15 days. This phase precedes storage in specific environments at a temperature of 10.0 degrees to be matured for a period of at least two months at a constant temperature of 10.0 degrees.
Once the cheese has passed these fundamental stages of production, it will be branded on the side where the date of production, the name of the mountain pasture in which it was made, the EEC stamp number of the dairy and the P.A.T. certificate will appear. that protects Italian agri-food products.
Bettelmatt's wheels are characterized by their typical cylindrical profile with a diameter between 30.0 and 50.0 centimeters, having a side of approximately 9.0 centimeters and a weight ranging between 4.0 and 6.0 kilos.
The rind is generally solid, smooth, consistent, reddish or sometimes brownish in colour, its paste when cut is soft, buttery with a straw yellow colour with a partridge's eye hole.
The aroma is particularly delicate but at the same time penetrating, with a very pleasant flavor with sweetish tendencies.
For edible use, Bettelmatt is very versatile, excellent in assorted appetizers, superb with croutons, Turin breadsticks or toasted bread and a touch of olive oil and salt, accompanying an aperitif or red wines of the Gattinara and Ghemme types.
Time for your lunch, I suggest as traditional specialities mixed appetizer based on Prosciutto Crudo, Salame Ossolano, Bacon and Mushrooms in oil, followed by hearty main courses such as Polenta with meat or of course with Bettelmatt.
Visiting Formazza is a magnificent experience, enchanting, fairytale places at the foot of unique Alpine massifs that have always inspired and left indelible memories and images with the strong desire to return.
Link : https://www.comune.formazza.vb.it/it-it/home
Where to Stay | Recommended Accomodation
Fuchs Haus
Mini Chalet Walser
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