The Centovalli, the Hundred Valleys, is the name given to the long, wooded cleft that runs from Locarno west to the Italian border and beyond to Domodossola, and the name is not much exaggerated. Streams run down from every side through steep gullies, the slopes are covered in chestnut and beech, and the road follows the main river, the Melezza, through a landscape of rock, water and stone villages that seems a world apart from the polished lakeshore a few minutes away.
The road is narrow, twisting and not always in perfect condition, but the ride is superb. It clings to the hillside, passes through small villages with tight corners and crosses the valley on old stone bridges and modern viaducts. At Intragna, a village on a ledge above the gorge, the tallest church tower in Ticino rises more than sixty metres, and the old houses cluster beneath it. A narrow-gauge railway runs along the same valley, carrying a small red train between Locarno and Domodossola, and you will see it crossing bridges and slipping through tunnels beside the road, a pleasing companion on a day of riding.
The valley has long been a trade and migration route. Its people, poor farmers who could not live on the steep land, left to work as stonemasons, chimney sweeps and plasterers in cities across Europe, and sent money home to rebuild the villages. The stone houses you pass, with their slate roofs and shaded porches, are the product of that labour. Chestnuts were the staple food, ground into flour and baked into bread, and you can still find chestnut cakes and honey in local shops.
Across the border into Italy, the valley continues as the Valle Vigezzo, and the village of Re has a large sanctuary, the Santuario della Madonna del Sangue, which draws pilgrims. It was built after a reported miracle in the late fifteenth century, and its big dome and bell tower dominate the village. The border crossing is informal, but carry your passport or identity card, and be aware that you are leaving Switzerland and its prices.
Fuel can be found in Locarno and in the larger villages in Switzerland, and across the border in Italy, in Santa Maria Maggiore or Domodossola, where it is generally cheaper. In the valley itself, services are few, so fill the tank before you enter. Traffic is light outside the summer weekends, but trucks and buses use the road, and the bends are tight, so ride with care. Autumn, when the chestnuts turn gold, is the best time.