From the glacier on the Basodino (at 3,300 m) down to the lake at Ascona (at just 199 m), the Maggia has moulded the landscape, making one of the largest valleys in Ticino into one of the most fascinating. Once the river transported timber; now it is a playground for bathers. On the slopes above, hikers on the 800 km of footpaths discover a landscape of impressive variety. For Avegno (299 m) and Bosco Gurin (1,507 m) are not just separated by 1,208 vertical metres: they are worlds apart – although until 1965 the Maggia railway linked them. To understand them, visit the Museo di Valmaggia in Cevio, home of the region’s most important permanent cultural collection.