Frequent Eurocity trains run north from Milan towards Switzerland via the Simplon Tunnel. On the way to the tunnel, these express trains pass by Lake Maggiore, offering beautiful views of the Borromean Islands. The final station stop in Italy for trains to Switzerland is the small Piedmont town of Domodossola. The station here is remarkably large, with all the customs and immigration paraphernalia befitting what was once an important gateway to Italy. From Domodossola it’s only another half hour through the Simplon Tunnel to Brig, an attractive Swiss town that guards the northern end of the Alpine tunnel, before trains head to Bern, Basel and the north.
If you don’t mind missing the spectacular scenery on the Swiss-Italian border, traveling to Switzerland using the Simplon Tunnel route is no problem. The Simplon darkness is not unlike the darkness on the London Underground; However, Eurocity trains running on the Simplon route are much more comfortable than anything the metro offers. But those in no hurry can do much better by turning right at Domodossola, then heading east into the hills to find a nice backdoor route into Switzerland using the cross-border rural railway.
to the hills
“Turning right” in Domodossola means heading from the main station towards the underground platform where the train to Locarno departs. A curiosity of this mountain railway is that both terminals are underground, but offer a beautiful view over the 30 miles between them, and there are no long tunnels. In fact, some argue that the line east of Domodossola is on par with the famous Bernina railway, the only other narrow-gauge railway crossing the Italian-Swiss border.
The small railway from Domodossola is called Vigezzina, but on the Swiss border it is more commonly called Centovalli. The two companies (called SSIF on the Italian side and Fart in Switzerland) cooperate to run about nine trains a day from Domodossola to Locarno. The journey takes less than two hours on a rollercoaster route through rugged Alpine terrain. The Swiss border is two-thirds of the way there, and from there the railway crosses into Switzerland to Locarno on the eastern branch of Lake Maggiore.
When I boarded the ship, I was surprised to see a pleasant brigade of black-clad chimney sweeps on their way to a meeting in Santa Maria Maggiore, the highest village on the railway route to Locarno. As we emerged from Domodossola’s metro station into the sunlight, some spazzacamini Tell me about how the annual trip to Santa Maria Maggiore becomes a homecoming ritual.
It’s a journey filled with jaw-dropping cliffs, spectacular valleys and some adventurous bridges
“This is a chance to give back to the communities in the hills that send chimney sweeps to the farthest corners of Europe,” says a freckle-faced young woman wearing standard black professional attire. I make a mental note to learn more about the history of chimney sweeps, and then focus on the scenery as we climb a series of spectacular zigzags from little Creggio to Trontano and beyond. The railway rises rapidly to follow the southern flank of the Melezzo valley, then drifts towards the valley floor. Behind Domodossola there are jaw-dropping views stretching to the Pennine Alps, but the real scenic stars are closer: a magnificent mix of oak and chestnut forests interspersed with mountain streams and fleeting glimpses of beautiful villas.
pilgrim way
Our train stops for no apparent reason at Marone, a small place in the middle of the forest, a few kilometers east of Trontano. The neat station building has green shutters. I have an Adlestrop memory; The willow herb and blackbird of Edward Thomas’s poignant poem are replaced by the smells and sounds of this Piedmontese outpost. Cheerful farewells come from the chimney sweeps in Santa Maria Maggiore, which is generally downhill all the way to Locarno. But it is a journey of many moods and dramatic changes in landscape. A light drizzle begins as we approach Re, where a group of nuns (and I) get off the train. The rain does not stop me from walking through the beech forests and stopping to visit the Santuario della Madonna del Sangue, a place of pilgrimage since 1494, when a fresco of the Madonna of Nursing hit a stone and began bleeding.
When I take a later train at Re to continue to Locarno I am asked to pay a €1.50 surcharge. “This tax is only collected from Vigezzo Vision trains with panoramic windows,” says the train manager. This may seem a little presumptuous, given that we are surrounded by rain and drifting low cloud banks, but I pay for it and am happily rewarded with the return of the sun and a beautiful rainbow as I cross into the Swiss canton of Ticino.
Ticino style
It’s another 40 minutes from the border towards the valley; Locarno; A journey filled with jaw-dropping cliffs, magnificent valleys and some adventurous bridges over the numerous side valleys that inspired the name Centovalli (100 valleys). But as we approach Locarno, we have the feeling that we have returned to a quieter landscape and the lush vegetation that contributes so much to the character of Switzerland’s southernmost canton. We glide past orchards and vineyards and encounter ornate palm trees as we approach Locarno. Suddenly, with the sound of the train horn, our Vigezzo Vision train plunges into a mile-long tunnel leading to the underground terminal.
Direct from Milan to Basel via Vigezzina and Treno Gottardo takes twice as long as Eurocity but is slow travel at best.
I spend the night in Locarno and the next day I head to Basel via the classic Gotthard line using the wonderful Treno Gottardo; this route (in the reverse direction) stands out as the Guardian railway route of the month in 2022.
Directly via the Simplon Tunnel, Eurocity connects Milan to Basel in just over four hours. But to enjoy the journey, turn right at Domosossola and follow this extraordinary mountain route. The journey from Milan to Basel via Vigezzina and Treno Gottardo takes twice as long, but offers an intimate interaction with Alpine landscapes and is much more rewarding; slow travel at best.
travel facts
If you’re making this journey as part of a wider European tour by train, your best option is probably an Interrail ticket: a four-day trip in a month costs from €283 (discounts for young people and seniors). Tickets from Domodossola to Locarno can be purchased at the station and cost 20 euros, which includes a stop along the way (a surcharge of 1.50 euros for Vigezzo Vision trains is paid by all passengers regardless of the length of the journey and type of ticket) . You can find more information about tariffs and fees at vigezzinacentovalli.com. There is a chimney sweep museum in Santa Maria Maggiore: Museo dello Spazzacamino.
Nicky Gardner is co-author of Europe by Rail: The Definitive Guide: the 17th edition. It will be available from the Guardian Bookshop from mid-February, with signed copies available direct from the publisher.