D is for Domodossola
This week, we are off for a few days of hiking in the northern Italian Ossola Valley (near the Swiss border), but before we put on our boots for the more “serious stuff”, we went for a brief walk through the town of Domodossola, our base for the duration of our stay.
In Italy, Domodossola is mainly known for two things: as a hub for northbound rail traffic (it is the first Italian town of note you will reach coming from Zurich, Geneva and Lyon) and as the stand-in for “D” in the national version of the phonetic alphabet.
The Italian equivalent of Alpha Bravo Charlie is entirely made up of names of towns and cities, so it is no mean feat for a town as small as this (Domodossola has roughly 20,000 inhabitants) to be included. It is also, as we found out, a source of considerable local pride – which can surprise you only if you never lived in a small town yourself.
But here is something else we found out: There is a great deal more that Domodossolans could and should be proud of. Their local landscape, for one – more of which soon – but also their charming little town itself which certainly merits a closer look.
There is a lot to discover around the narrow lanes and wide piazzas of the old town centre. Here are some shots of what we found.
Remember your Italian alphabet – D for Domodossola
We thank our sponsors, among which are the Regione Piemonte and the V.E.T.T.A. Project, for the chance to discover this very charming region in Italy.
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