The Antrona Valley is the wildest of the Ossola valleys, perhaps the least known, and certainly the farthest off the beaten track. Between the Anzasca Valley on one side and the Bognanco Valley on the other, it has preserved its unspoiled natural environment, characterised by dense woodlands and Alpine lakes.

The villages scattered throughout the valley have a unique style of architecture, and traditions that have now been abandoned in other parts of the Alps. If you stroll around Montescheno, Viganella, Seppiana and Antronapiana, for example, you can still come across ancient communal bread ovens, and houses built of wood and stone in the old Alpine style. A feature of the villages is the presence of ancient wine-presses; the one in Antronapiana, dating back to 1745, has been recently restored and is still used.

The best known place in Antrona must be Viganella, on account of the giant mirror that has been erected on the mountainside facing the village to reflect sunlight onto its main square in winter, when for almost three months the sun does not penetrate the valley as far as the village. Constructed using sophisticated technology and materials, the “mirror of Viganella” has taken the name of the community round the world.