In the Maggia Valley, the days are filled with sun and fun, and one often wishes one could stop the hands of time in this unique river landscape with its countless waterfalls, high mountain tops, deserted mountain pastures, mountain lakes and picturesque villages and side valleys. With plenty of things to do and places to see, it is the perfect place to forget all your worries. You can dedicate a whole day to art, watching painters, sculptors or the many granite cutters at work: the impressive works hewn out of Vallemaggia granite can be admired not only in this valley but also in squares and gardens around the world. You could spend the next day immersed in nature, for example on one of the extremely well kept footpaths, which cover a total length of over 700 kilometres, with routes ranging from easy to demanding. The famous Splüia Bèla cave in Val Calnègia is definitely worth visiting. The next day could be dedicated to architecture: The valley boasts an impressive variety of architectural styles, with residential buildings at the bottom of the valley, traditional- style buildings in the upper side valleys, and modern architecture as well. The latter can be admired at Mogno–just before Fusio– where the famous architect Mario Botta built an elliptic church out of marble from Peccia, granite, iron and glass. In Cevio you can visit the ethnographic museum, which is located in two bourgeois buildings dating from the seventheenth century. The museum’s comprehensive exhibition charts the history and geography of the Maggia Valley, with highlights including poststone and goat breeding. The museum also has a collection of Roman artefacts dating from the second and third centuries, which were found in Moghegno. Along the way you could stop and visit one of the many picturesque villages and at lunch-time sit in a piazza and sip a macchiato with the locals. They will tell you that the almost Mediterranean climate of the warmer months is perfect for taking the children bathing: the river water is crystal clear, the banks romantic to say the least. You might also be tempted by a mountain biking, paragliding or horsetrekking. The days could hardly be more varied–a pleasant thought as you sit in a grotto sipping a glass of nostrano–the popular red wine from the Maggia Valley–at the end of the day, already dreaming of the next: perhaps you could hike from Maggia to Alpe Masnee, and then on to neighbouring Valle Verzasca to stop the hands of time.
