Points of Interest
Each of the 25 municipalities in the district contributes to making Cusio a unique destination by making an extraordinary heritage available to visitors.
The incredible variety of thenatural environment, which from the mountain peaks declines following the course of the rivers to the lake, leaves open to the visitor every possibility: from relaxation to adrenaline excursions; from romantic outing to sports competitions; from fairy-tale wedding to paragliding flight; from farmhouse snack to starry dinner … and much more!
Cusio is not only nature: the 25 municipalities in the district share a secular history evidenced by the rich artistic, cultural and folk tradition heritage. From ancient settlements to today’s rehabilitation for museum purposes of decommissioned industrial buildings; from places of meditation and prayer to those of memory; from Rodarian sites to Walser folk folklore; from Pinocchio’s puppet to international recognition in gastronomy, industry and the design.
Nature, art, culture, folklore and the excellences of the area meet and merge here, giving the visitor a thousand different experiences, all to be discovered and shared with loved ones!
Staying in Cusio is easy: resorts, hotels, residences, campsites and BBs … many solutions for a single destination!
THE COUNTRY OF GIANNI RODARI.
Gianni Rodari, the first Italian writer to be awarded the Andersen Prize in 1970, was born in Omegna. The city celebrates its connection with its illustrious citizen through installations, projects and initiatives, including the prestigious Rodari Prize, which is awarded as part of the annual CHILDREN’S LITERATURE FESTIVAL.
The Rodari Museum and Fantasy Park offer privileged access to the incredible world of Gianni Rodari: walking through the places where Rodari’s stories are set, it is easy to run into Baron Lambert … and anything can happen by spending an afternoon outdoors in the beautiful Pie in the Sky Gardens!
Per conoscere i siti rodariani e le iniziative per famiglie e scuole legati a Gianni Rodari: www.rodariomegna.it
The MOKA
The MOKA, the coffee maker invented by Bialetti, is one of the many objects that originated in Cusio and have become iconic.
Omegna, is known as the “land of pots and pans and coffee pots” because since the last century, Omegna’s homemaking industry has been an ambassador of innovation, creativity and design around the world. Omegna companies such as ALESSI and LAGOSTINA still enjoy an international reputation: their outlets are usually a must for tourists visiting the Cusio region.
THE HOLY MOUNTAIN OF ORTA
The SACRED MONTE DI ORTA is a historical-religious complex of extraordinary beauty and suggestion. Set within the Special Nature Reserve of Sacro Monte di Orta, the path winds through 20 chapels inside which 376 life-size terracotta statues recount the main events in the life of St. Francis.
Since 2003, the Sacred Mount of Orta has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A devotional path recorded as early as 1547 leads from the Sacro Monte of Orta to that of Varallo via the ancient communication routes between Cusio and Valsesia.
More info at: Peregrinatio dal Sacro Monte di Orta al Sacro Monte di Varallo
SHRINE OF MADONNA DEL SASSO
The Shrine of Our Lady of the Rock is a complex dating back to the first half of the 18th century. Located in the municipality of the same name in Boleto, the church is perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking Lake Orta from a height of 638 m above sea level.
The square in front of the church is called “the balcony of the Cusio” because it offers visitors an unparalleled view of the entire Cusio, from the lake to the mountains of the eastern Riviera.
The Sanctuary is also the end point of the Le Valli della Fede hiking route, which starts from the Sanctuary of Banchette in the Biella area and reaches the Sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso and Lake Orta.
More info at: www.santuariomadonnadesasso.it
PINOCCHIO
Pinocchio, the world-famous wooden puppet, comes to life from the skilled hands of Cusio’s artisans, who especially from the Strona Valley Masters who boast centuries of experience in woodworking and woodturning.
The narrow, wild valley that leads from Omegna to the Walser village of Campello Monti is now known as “the valley of Pinocchios” because it was from the ancient valley workshops that Pinocchio began his journey across Italy and beyond.
THE CHIMINIER
The old smokestack stands tall on the skyline of the Cusian capital, a reminder of its long industrial tradition.
Thanks to a major redevelopment project, the area that once housed the large Cobianchi metallurgical industry is now home to Rodari Park and the Forum: but the city wanted to preserve its smokestack, a symbol of a past to which the stories of so many Omegna families are linked.
For more information visit forumomegna.it
BUCCIONE TOWER
Of the ancient castle that once stood in an elevated position between Orta San Giulio and Gozzano, the Buccione Tower represents the best preserved part.
Built around the 12th century for defensive purposes, the tower offers from its top a spectacular view of the entire surrounding area, from the peaks of Monte Rosa to the dome of San Gaudenzio in Novara.
In the area where the Buccione Tower stands, the Piedmont Region has established a Special Nature Reserve to protect the historical and environmental heritage of the site.The site can be reached by a walk of about 15 minutes.
ETHNOGRAPHIC AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSEUM
There is no better place than the Quarna Museum of Ethnography and Musical Instrument to discover the history and traditions of a community whose resourcefulness and creativity have triumphed over all the difficulties posed by the mountain environment.
The most significant part of the exhibition is about the handicraft tradition of musical instrument making: it is possible to admire attempts to make instruments with new features, instruments that are now obsolete as well as many other special items including the equipment used to make the instruments.
ISLAND OF SAN JULIO
The island of San Giulio, the only one on the lake, is an enchanting and evocative place, dominated by the imposing Benedictine monastery: along the footpath around the perimeter are aphorisms about silence and meditation.
Regular or private boats offer convenient service to reach the island