Cicogna–Pogallo, in the heart of the Val Grande
From Cicogna, the last inhabited village in the Val Grande, a mule track contours above the gorges of the Pogallo stream to the summer farm of the same name, at the gateway to Italy's largest wilderness area.
- Difficulty
- E Hiking
- Length
- 7.8 km
- Elevation gain
- +340 m / −340 m
- Time
- 3–3.5 hours
- Route
- Out and back
- Altitude
- 562–733 m
- Season
- Summer Autumn
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The story
Pogallo was a woodcutters' village: in the 19th and 20th centuries the valley's timber left from here, sent down by cableway and along the streams. In June 1944 the Val Grande saw one of the harshest Nazi-Fascist sweeps against the partisans. Then the valley emptied, and since 1992 it has been a national park.
Why go
Because in half a day you enter a valley where nature has taken everything back, and the story of the woodcutters and partisans can still be read in the walls of the houses.
Practical information
- Start
- Cicogna (Cossogno)
- Finish
- Alpe Pogallo (about 770 m), back the same way
- Best time
- May–October
- Parking
- Small car park in Cicogna, reached by a narrow road from Cossogno.
- By public transport
- You need a car: Cicogna has no regular bus service.
- Water
- Fountains in Cicogna and at Pogallo.
- Shade
- Woodland for almost the whole route.
- Huts and refreshments
- Hikers' lodge at Pogallo (seasonal, check opening).
- With children
- Yes, with children used to walking: there are a few exposed sections with handrails.
Weather at the start
The forecast for the next 7 days at this spot: sky, temperatures, rain and wind.
Forecast by Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), from the models of national weather services. Your browser downloads it directly from Open-Meteo, and only when you ask. In the mountains and at sea the weather changes quickly: check the official forecast as well before you set off.
What to see on the route and nearby
After the hike, into the water
More hikes in Piedmont
- 1Sacra di San Michele from Sant'AmbrogioE 5.7 km · +500 m · 3 hours · out and back
- 2★ Buco di Viso from Pian del ReE 9.1 km · +960 m · 5–6 hours · out and back
- 3★ Pian del Valasco from Terme di ValdieriE 8.6 km · +440 m · 3–3.5 hours · out and back
- 4The Barolo Crus TrailT 11.7 km · +330 m · 3.5–4 hours · loop
- 5★ Bessa Reserve, the Romans' gold minesE 4.5 km · +60 m · 1.5–2 hours · out and back
- 7On foot to the Sacred Mountain of VaralloT 2.4 km · +130 m · 1 hour round trip, plus the visit · out and back
- 8Lago del Mucrone from OropaE 10.3 km · +720 m · 4–4.5 hours round trip · out and back
- 9★ Alpe Otro, the Walser villages above AlagnaE 6.8 km · +420 m · 3 hours round trip · out and back
- 10Alpe Devero and Crampiolo, snowshoes tooT 6.1 km · +170 m · 1.5–2 hours round trip · out and back
Routes © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via Waymarked Trails and BRouter; elevations from a digital terrain model. Times and elevation gains are indicative: waymarks on the ground and closure orders always take precedence.