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NATURE
The Monte Rosa and its perpetual glaciers
The timeless charm of the invincible giant and its glaciers
Monte Rosa needs little introduction: it is the largest massif of the Alps, second only in height to Mont Blanc, and it rises on the border between Aosta Valley, Piedmont, and Switzerland.
Activities
nature
Recommended period
all year round
Difficulty
depending on the activity
Location
Monte Rosa (4.634 meters)
In the Italian territory, it extends to the municipalities of Alagna Valsesia, Gressoney La Trinità, Gressoney Saint Jean, Macugnaga, and Ayas-Champoluc. The highest peak, Punta Dufour (named after Guillaume-Henri Dufour, general and cartographer of the Swiss army), reaches 4,634 meters, while the massif as a whole registers the highest average altitude of all the Alps, with nine of the top twenty highest peaks of the alpine chain.
Monte Rosa is the great protagonist of the Valsesia and hilly landscape both in summer and in winter: its imposing silhouette with the snow-covered peak is an incredible spectacle in all seasons, especially from Riva Valdobbia where the majestic southern wall can be seen.
The Italian name, as well as the French Mont Rose, does not derive, as is often wrongly believed, from the colors that its peaks take on at dawn, but comes from the Latin Rosia and Rosae in patois, a French-speaking dialect spoken in Aosta Valley, which means glacier, just like the perpetual ones that cover its peaks.
Seen from below, Monte Rosa looks like an invincible giant, traversed centuries ago by the Walser people, today the Rosa hosts the highest alpine shelter in Europe, the Capanna Regina Margherita at an altitude of 4,554 meters, strongly desired by the CAI and inaugurated in the presence of Queen Margherita of Savoy herself.
The Fenera Caves and the Natural Park
The caves as places of early human settlements and an environment rich in finds
Mushroom picking in Valsesia
The ideal environment for the growth of your favorite mushrooms
Safety in the mountains
Living and experiencing the mountains requires caution, preparation, and experience. No activity, even the easiest one, should be taken for granted or improvised.
Fondo europeo agricolo di sviluppo rurale.
L'Europa investe nelle zone rurali.
PSR 2014 - 2020, Misura 19 - op. 7.5.2 tipologia 2
Infrastrutture turistico-ricreative ed informazione nell’ambito del CCLD LEADER - Informazione
