Hidden Gems of Italy: Alpe Devero

Alpe Devero is a place for true mountain lovers. Unlike the Dolomites, which have been widely anthropized, this tiny settlement in the northern tip of Piedmont seems to have remained unchanged through time.

Alpe Devero sits on a plain surrounded by larch woods, overlooked by the imposing peaks of Monte Cervandone, Punta della Rossa, Pizzo Cornera and Pizzo Fizzi, which belong to the Lepontine Alps and form the border with Switzerland. In fact, Switzerland is so close you can hike to it (in a couple of days, that is). 

At 1,634 meters above sea level, Alpe Devero is located within the protected area of the Alpe Veglia and Alpe Devero Natural Park. The inclusion in a protected area has helped preserve the immaculate environment as well as the traditional architecture of houses, small huts with stone roofs. Car traffic is forbidden, however parking is available for a fee just outside the village, which is also the starting point for numerous outdoor adventures, both in winter and summer. 

Alpe Devero is far from chaos and confusion, a favorite with snowshoers, alpine and cross country skiers in winter and with hikers in summer. Winter is when the Alpe is at its most tranquil. Here, you won’t find huge ski resorts, fancy huts with loud music or 4-star hotels, but rather simple cabins offering genuine hospitality and the chance to taste the local cuisine, with polenta-based dishes, cured meats and cheeses.

The Alpe Devero area has been used for a long time as high-altitude pastures for cattle breeding. Local farmers carry on the artisanal tradition of making milk, butter, ricotta and excellent cheeses, including the prized Bettelmatt, produced exclusively in this area of Piedmont (the wider Val d’Ossola) since the 13th century, when the first Walser settlers, a population of Germanic origin, arrived. Their descendants still live in the valley.