Bosco Gurin – traditions and legend

Once upon a time there were the Walser, a people of the Upper Valais that grew and grew in number. It came to pass that some went searching for fresh pastures for their cattle. On their quest for a new home, they came through the Val Formazza into the Valle di Bosco, a little side valley of the Vallemaggia, and founded the village of Gurin in 1253. Centuries may have passed, but a visit to Bosco Gurin still feels like a leap into the past.

The inhabitants have maintained most of their customs, and their language – Ggurijnartitsch, a Swiss-German dialect that's still spoken alongside Italian and the local Ticino dialect. Bosco Gurin also stands out architecturally from the rest of the Ticino: it features a great deal of timber, which is rather atypical for this canton. 

A trip to Bosco Gurin is to be recommended at any time of the year, from the flowering spring and summer hiking seasons to the colourful autumn and fairytale winter. This, the highest village in the Ticino (more than 1500 m above sea level), is a popular destination summer and winter, being a mini ski resort that's only a (relative) stone's throw away from the mild climate of Lake Maggiore. In summer it's the perfect place to find harmony in nature – discovering plants, observing wild animals and negotiating long hikes and MTB tours. The surrounding woods are rich in flora, fauna and legends. Walking amongst larch, spruce, alder and hazelnut, you may well encounter the Weltu, the little friendly denizens of the woods with inverted feet, who watch over the cattle of the inhabitants at times of high snow or bad weather.