Bognanco Valley

The Bognanco Valley is made up of isolated mountain territories because of its inaccessible position. Its slopes, therefore, give the main characteristic to the landscape; the mountain walls are covered with dense forests, which change according to their elevation. The lower slopes are covered with oak forests followed by chestnut and beech forests and the higher slopes with higher visuals are covered with larch forests and alpine meadows. Furthermore, the glacial landforms (ridges and moraine) found in the Upper Valley of Bognanco, have formed a system of high scenic value.

The grasslands are characterized by a considerable percentage of rocks and herbaceous meadows, which are found in higher elevations rich in shrubbery for grazing. At present, the main production activity of cattle herds is the "Nostrano (locally handmade)" cheese and the "Grasso D'alpe" cheese, produced exclusively in the mountain pastures.

Small villages situated on natural terraces are developed along the Bogna River, and along the road towards the St. Bernard Alps and Mount Moncucco also known as the "mills and presses road," significant testimony to the former agricultural occupation of the local community, that has always exploited the abundant and numerous water courses that have fed even small lake areas, but above all, have provided the foundation on which the present economy of the territory is partly structured, like the baths of Bognanco, sources of bicarbonate-sulphate-alkaline waters.