Friday, May 06, 2005

Calanca Valley survival by nature

Maybe you have never heard of the Calanca Valley because a sign pointing to a small road leading up the mountainside is the only hint of the valley’s existence. The small valley of Calanca is situated in southern Switzerland, in canton Graubünden, about 20km from the valley entrance of Ticino. In the village of Briaggo (sounds like Italian influence), there are only 60 people inhabiting this 1300m mountain village.

So how are they planning to survive?

The people of the villages in the Calanca valley have ambitious plans to put the region on the map, instead of heeding calls to abandon it. The creation of a new national park could secure the survival of the valley’s communities amid calls for their financial lifelines to be cut. Certainly all of this is to protect all 800 residents and dozens of villages.

Here are some facts about the Calanca Valley:

- Calanca belongs to canton Graubünden but is linked by public transport to Bellinzona, the capital of canton Ticino, about 20km from the valley entrance.

- Simple bed and breakfast-style accommodation is available in the village of Braggio, one of the two villages set high above the valley floor which is reached by a self-operating cable car.

-There is a good network of hiking routes of different lengths at various elevations.

To find out more, read the article from Swiss info

No comments:

Post a Comment