Lake d'Orta the ancient "Cusius" can be found on the west side of Lake Maggiore: rich of history and ancient monuments it is surrounded by green valleys. Its surface is about 18 square km and it is 290 metres above the sea level. Orta, is the most important locality in the heart of the homonymous lake. Visitors are thrilled by the antique and suggestive village, crossed by the narrow streets with the palaces of the well to do families from the renaissance and baroque period. Like in the past, nowadays the busiest area for socialising is Piazza Motta, where we find the Palazzo della Comunità with frescos at the front representing the coat of arms of the noble families of the bishops that governed the area. You can also visit the church of San Quirico and the church of Parrocchiale di Santa Maria Assunta. On the valley above Orta, we find the Sacro Monte, a building that along with the church of San Nicolao is dedicated to the life of Saint Francis. The surrounding areas that are worth visiting are Omegna, Armeno, Pettenasco, Gozzano, San Maurizio d'Opaglio, Alzo, Pella and Quarna. Some of these areas are famous for their economic history, others for art and culture.

The Lake of Mergozzo is one of the cleanest in Europe and marks the border between the Lakes Maggiore, Orta and the Valleys of Ossola. The town of Mergozzo is particularly famous for its green and white granite pits which has been used to build the 82 columns of the Basilica of S. Paul outside the Roman walls, while the pink marble from the pits of Candoglia for the Duomo of Milan. At the top of Mergozzo we find within the crests, the village of Montorfano where one of the most suggestive Roman churches in the territory from the 11th-12th centuries is conserved.

The Ossola Valleys. The chief town is Domodossola that has always been the door that takes you through the Alps into Europe. Of particular importance is the international rail station that connects Italy with Switzerland through the gallery of the Sempione that celebrated its opening in 1906. From the station in Domodossola you can take the characteristic train that takes you through the Valley of Vigezzo onto the Lake Maggiore in Locarno in the Helvetian territory. Always in Domodossola, of significant importance we find the Sacro Monte Calvario.
All the roads that link to the surrounding valleys begin at Domodossola. These localities are famous for skiing, for their natural beauty and for their wine and food: the Valley Anzasca, the Valley Vigezzo, the Valley Antrona, the Valley Antigorio and Formazza, the Val Divedro, the Valley of Bognanco. The main localities to visit in Ossola are Ornavasso, Vogogna, Macugnaga, Crodo, Baceno, Bognanco, Masera, Druogno, Santa Maria Maggiore and Re.