Historic Mountain Routes | Cadorna line, the former military road overlooking the lake

We start from the large Piancavallo car park (Municipality of Oggebbio), near the Auxologico Institute: on the right, we continue slightly uphill for a few dozen meters, then we turn right, first on asphalt and then on dirt, passing next to the fence and the small church of the hospital structure.At the end of the fence, we continue quickly for a little more than 2 km "halfway up the hill", with the right side almost overhanging Lake Maggiore, until we reach the entrance to the fortified tunnels of Morissolo. We go back for about ten meters, turn right and go up for a few meters; a series of signposts indicate the route to follow: on the left, we proceed towards Alpe Colle, while on the right, we go up, on foot, along the ridge that leads to the top of Monte Morissolo and its three crosses, from which we can enjoy a unique view of Valle Cannobina, Canton Ticino, Lake Maggiore and its Lombard shore.Continuing towards Colle, the path is quite wide and flat in the first part, becoming narrower as you enter the beech forest, until you come out in the small square of Alpe Colle, right next to the fountain. Here the signs are helpful, but if that were not enough there is also a huge white writing on the wall indicating the direction for "Spalavera", right on the right of the square with the monument and the Italian and European flags always present.At the exit from Colle a wide dirt road opens up, initially shaded and then increasingly open and panoramic, with white birch trees surrounding it. The road soon gives way to the path, supported by dry stone walls still well preserved, which leads to the top of Monte Spalavera. Be careful of the ground, which is not always compact and homogeneous. The path continues with one last rough patch at the end. The effort is however amply rewarded by the panorama that can be enjoyed from the top of Monte Spalavera, from its height of 1534 m.a.s.l. and its strategic position. The descent develops within a cool (especially in summer) and lush beech forest and ends in a large clearing that is also a sort of crossroads. Continuing on the left towards Pian Puzzo you soon find another junction that, passing through Archia, leads along a comfortable dirt road to Passo Folungo and then to the Vadà refuge, where there is also a bivouac, always open, and a comfortable fountain. The dirt road ends in Colle and with it also the descent and the false-flat; in fact, if you decide to shorten and arrive quickly at Piancavallo, take the SP 56 on the right and, through a lush beech forest that constantly climbs, you go over the hill and then quickly descend to the car park. Otherwise, from Colle you retrace the outward route, passing through Morissolo again and arriving at Piancavallo along the comfortable dirt road.

Be careful on high-altitude routes in case of nerves.

The junction of the road system is the capital Verbania (easily reachable from Milan, Turin, Genoa via the A 26 motorway), as well as from nearby Switzerland (from Ticino along the ss. n. 34, from Valais through the Simplon pass). From Verbania (along the provincial road that goes up towards Premeno, Piancavallo) you reach the crossroads of Colle, after traveling 25 kilometres. All the hiking and cycle-pedestrian opportunities start from here

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