Nestled between the mountains behind Lake Maggiore, the Bavona Valley is an integral part of the culture and of the pastoral life of Ticino, as well as its history of emigration to California, Australia and other distant places. A valley without electricity, where the small villages and the stone houses squeezed next to each other appear as a true open-air museum. A beautiful walk along the valley floor’s historic trails reveals its distinctive architecture, uniquely dictated by survival but in perfect harmony with the natural environment. A lunch in a “grotto”, a singular Ticino setting, introduces the typical local cuisine.