Riale, Chärbäch in the Walser language, is the northernmost hamlet of Piedmont and is a true jewel of mountain architecture, set in the Upper Formazza Valley.
Located at 1730 m above sea level, Riale is among the first settlements created by the Walser populations who reached the Ossola Valley from the nearby Canton of Valais via the Gries Pass.
In the past, Val Formazza represented an important trade route: from Valais, in fact, a mule track crossed the Gries Pass to reach nearby Lombardy. It was the salt route or also "Sbrinz Route", as it is still known today thanks to the historical re-enactment which is a traditional event with a strong appeal.
The Formazza Valley is the only Walser colony directly bordering Goms, the land of origin of this Germanic population: the memory of these medieval colonizations is therefore tangible and alive. Evidence is still found today in the dialect spoken by some of the people of Formazza, the typical architectural structure of the houses and the Walser names of the places encountered along the Val Formazza road.
Here in the village you will also find the cross-country center where you can rent skis and bikes and then some inns such as the very renowned Locanda Walter Stchuba. From here we continue on excursions passing by Lake Morasco, Lake Kastel, Lake Toggia and Rifugio Maria Luisa towards Passo San Giacomo