The Onsernone Valley (, ), is one of the principal valleys of the

Locarno District The Locarno District (also called Locarnese) is a district of Canton Ticino, Switzerland. It has a population of (as of ). Geography The Locarno District has an area, , of . Of this area, or 6.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 58 ...

, in the

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

Canton of

Ticino Ticino ( ), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino, is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eight districts ...

. The Onsernone Valley derives its name from the Onsernone River, the name used in Italy for what the Swiss call the Isorno, of which it is a

river valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over a ...

. As of 10 April 2016, the municipality of

Onsernone Onsernone is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Switzerland, Swiss Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Ticino, near the city of Locarno. The river Isorno (river), Isorno, known as the Onsernone River in Italy, runs through the Onse ...

is larger than the Valley of Onsernone because

Vergeletto Vergeletto is a former Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Locarno (district), Locarno in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Ticino in Switzerland. On 10 April 2016 the former municipalities of Vergeletto, Gresso, Mo ...

and Gresso in the neighboring Valley of Vergeletto were merged into it. The permanent population of the Onsernone Valley peaked in the 19th century along with local

rye Rye (''Secale cereale'') is a grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop. It is grown principally in an area from Eastern and Northern Europe into Russia. It is much more tolerant of cold weather and poor soil than o ...

straw processing. Relatively undeveloped compared to the rest of Switzerland and with only one road in or out, the Onsernone Valley is often described as "wild," "untamed," and "mysterious" in tourist descriptions. In 2018, the residents of the area voted down a proposal to create a national park in Onsernone out of concern it would usher in a slough of government regulations and bring mass tourism that would end the laid-back lifestyle for which the area is known.

Settlements

The villages and settlements in the Onsernone Valley, all of which belong to the larger municipality of

, include: * Auressio * Berzona * Comologno * Crana * Isorno *

Loco Loco or El Loco may refer to: Places United States * Loco, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Loco, Oklahoma, a village * Loco, Texas, an unincorporated community * Loco River, Puerto Rico Elsewhere * Loco, Switzerland, a village and for ...

Mosogno Mosogno is a former Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Locarno (district), Locarno in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Ticino in Switzerland. On 10 April 2016 the former municipalities of Vergeletto, Gresso, Moso ...

Russo Russo may refer to: * Russo (surname) * Russo (footballer, 1915–1980), full name Adolpho Milman, Brazilian football forward and manager * Russo (footballer, born 1976), full name Ricardo Soares Florêncio, Brazilian football defender * Russo brot ...

Spruga Spruga (''La Sprüga'' in Ticinese dialect, ''Sprugg'' in Swiss German) is a village in the Swiss municipality of Onsernone, in the district of Locarno, in the canton of Ticino. It lies on the sunny, south-facing slopes above the Isorno river o ...

Photos of the Onsernone Valley

Mulino di Loco.jpg, Old Mill in the village of Loco (2010) Chiesa bairone.JPG, Bairone Chapel in Mosogno (2008) Campanil e e obelisco.jpg, Bell tower and obelisk of Comologno (2017) ETH-BIB-Onsernone, Ponte Oscuro-Dia 247-12469.tif, Historic (1940) photo of the Oscuro Bridge in Onsernone by Leo Wehrli, colorized by Margit Wehrli-Frey ETH-BIB-Onsernone, Seitenbach und alte Brücke gegen Cratello-Dia 247-12467.tif, Historic photo (1940) of lateral stream and old bridge near Cratello by Leo Wehrli, colorized by Margit Wehrli-Frey ETH-BIB-Onsernone-Mündung-Dia 247-03403.tif, Mouth of the Onsernone/Isorno river (1922). Photo by Leo Wehrli CH-NB Photoglob-Wehrli EAD-WEHR-37258-B.tif, Leo Wehrli, Oscuro Bridge (1930?) Upper subalpin forest in Onsernone Switzerland.jpg, Subalpine forest in Onsernone (2022) Pizzo della Croce, Valle Onsernone TI.JPG, Pizzo della Croce (Peak of the cross) Valle Onsernone - Loco.jpg, Onsernone Valley near Loco

References

{{reflist Locarno

Regions of Switzerland River valleys of Switzerland