Sbrinz Route — Arrival of the Muleteers in Val Formazza

The historic muleteer caravan in Formazza

The Sbrinz Route is a re-enactment of one of the oldest trade routes in the Alps: the path that, via the Gries Pass, connected Central Switzerland to the Ossola Valley and continued toward Milan. Along this 150-kilometer route, from the 16th to the 19th century, muleteers transported the famous Sbrinz cheese—a hard, aged Swiss variety—alongside salt, wine, rice, and other goods. The caravan arrives in the Municipality of Formazza (Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Piedmont), which for centuries has been the first Italian gateway for this historic passage.

Meeting the Walser community

The most anticipated moment is the arrival of the caravan in Riale, the northernmost village in Piedmont, situated at an altitude of over 1,700 meters and one of the first Walser settlements in Val Formazza. When the muleteers in period dress, with mules and donkeys laden with traditional baskets and goods, descend from the Gries Pass, the local community welcomes them in traditional Walser costumes, with folk dances accompanied by accordions and the warm hospitality that has always characterized this border valley.

A living heritage

Recognized as part of the Alpine intangible heritage, the re-enactment was established in 2003 to promote slow tourism and keep alive the memory of muleteering, a fundamental economic activity for the Walser colony of Formazza. The event is part of a broader eight-day journey that starts in Switzerland and, after Riale, crosses the Upper Formazza Valley, Premia, Crodo in the Antigorio Valley, and Crevoladossola, leading to the grand finale in Piazza Mercato in Domodossola.

Flavors and traditions of the upper Ossola

Surrounding the arrival of the caravan is a market of local products, where the absolute stars are the mountain pasture cheeses: Sbrinz, which gives the route its name, and Bettelmatt, a rare cheese from the Formazza pastures. It is a unique opportunity to discover the Walser culture, the spectacular landscapes of the upper Val Formazza, and the centuries-old friendship between the Alpine communities of Italy and Switzerland, set in one of the most evocative natural landscapes in Piedmont.