Macugnaga is a mountain village located at the end of the Anzasca Valley, in a marvellous setting at the foot of the awe-inspiring east face of Monte Rosa. It was founded in the 13th century by the Walsers, a people of Germanic orgin, who learned how to make the most of what the high mountain pastures had to offer, stubbornly exploiting their extraordinary capacity for adaptation to the rigours and harsh conditions of the environment, and giving rise to their characteristic communities.
Macugnaga is today still defined by the Walser culture and traditions: you can see this in the distinctive architecture of the houses, in the traditional costumes worn by the women of the village on special occasions like the St Bernard’s Fair, and in the Titsch language still spoken by the old people or in the care of the people for the “Dorf”, the tiny 13th century heart of the village.
Well worth a visit are the Walser House Museum in Borca and the Gold mine of Guia in the village of Fornarelli, the first in Italy to be re-opened as a cultural facility.
Macugnaga today is a modern tourist centre, equipped for both winter and summer holidays. In winter snow sports enthusiasts can choose from the 35 km of downhill ski runs, a snowpark and a variety of snowshoeing trails. Summer offers walks in the woods, hikes to explore the high pastures and the Wildlife Oasis, and high-level mountaineering on the peaks of Monte Rosa, thanks to the cable car leading to Monte Moro and the chair lift to Belvedere.
