Tronzano Lago Maggiore and the Via delle Genti between mills and cool waterfalls

Tronzano on Lake Maggiore has not only a beautiful beach, a paradise for surfers, but also an ancient nucleus of houses from where the “via delle genti” passes through with ancient mills and a cool waterfall. For this reason Tronzano is an ideal destination for an invigorating summer walk.

Tronzano is a small town located in the northernmost part of the province of Varese, on the border with Switzerland, lying on a hill located 350 meters above sea level on the slopes of Monte Borgna. The town with its hamlets (the best known is Borsano) has very ancient origins testified by various archaeological finds found in the area, including mysterious engravings on stones of probable Celtic origin.
On the other hand, even the most distracted visitor who navigated on Lake Maggiore and looked in the direction of the town, would notice how the nuclei of the old houses are arranged in a linear way halfway up, indicating the passage of a road with very ancient origins, pre -romane. In fact, the mule track, now called by the poetic name of “via delle genti” (way of the people), was part of that ancient route that started from the Po Valley to reach Germany, passing through the Alps.
This route was the only one that could be used as an alternative to crossing the lake, and for this reason it was considered strategic from a commercial and economic point of view and there were many “genti” who passed through here.
The traces of this ancient past are still visible today in the narrow streets paved with stones,  in the sundials, in the blocks of stone that were used to scale barley. In fact, in these areas barley was among the most cultivated cereals together with rye and maize, cereals which were then brought to the adjacent mills for grinding.

Those who want to enjoy a bit of coolness and see the ancient mills, can go to the Valegion Mills where there is a waterfall where the water flows copiously all year round.