Emigrant chimney sweeps

Let yourselves be transported back in time! Listen to clattering hoofs, old stories and legends. Each Wednesday, a local guide will lead you through the Centovalli of the nineteenth Century, in the footsteps of the young emigrant chimney sweeps. Here you can learn about life in olden times, when there were no passable roads or railway in the valley, and the mountain villages were still populated. Discover wonderful landscapes, where the villagers were so poor they had to fight for their living and their only option was to emigrate. Many families were forced to send their children abroad to work as chimney sweeps. This was the case of the Tondù family of Lionza who, after experiencing a family tragedy, made fortune and helped the village to overcome its misery. The excursion takes you from Cadanza to Borgnone, then onto Lionza along the historic Via del Mercato and finally to Palagnedra, from where you will return to Intragna.

Period: March - October

Difficulty: easy (hiking boots, packed lunch, drinks and sunscreen are strongly recommended)
Itinerary: Intragna - Borgnone - Lionza - Intragna.
Duration: 5:30h, actual walking time 2 hours with a positive elevation difference of about 200 meters. 
When: every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 2.30 p.m.

Price: 
adults CHF 50.- per person
children (6-16 years) CHF 30.-
children (under 6 years) free
Included: guided excursion, transfer from Intragna to Cadanza and return

Information: Tatjana Brombach, Via Arch. G. Frizzi 13a, 6648 Minusio - tel. 076 693 91 83, e-mail: [email protected]
Booking is mandatory, no later than 18:00h on Tuesday before the excursion date.
Min. number of participants: 6
Maximum number of participants: 12
Meeting place:  FART (Ferrovia delle Centonalli) train station in Intragna

Excursions can be carried out in Italian, German, French and English.

The Locarnese National Park Project supports this initiative.

SERVICES

• Group activity/Social program
• Guided tours