Monteviasco, a Varese village reachable only by 1,400 stone steps
A Varese hamlet with no road: a cable car built in 1989 stopped in 2018 and reopened in 2025, but only around ten people still live there.
Time seems frozen in Monteviasco, a tiny Italian hamlet perched in the Vedasca valley in the province of Varese that can be reached only on foot via 1,400 stone steps.
The village has no road for cars; narrow alleys, stone houses with wooden balconies and traditional stone roofs preserve an appearance that feels untouched by modern Europe. The steep stairway is the main route that links the settlement with the valley below.
From path to cable car and back
The first major change came in 1989, when a cable car was installed to connect Monteviasco with the valley, offering residents and visitors a quicker alternative to the long climb. That connection, however, was interrupted in 2018 after a serious accident and the cable car ceased operating.
After the closure, Monteviasco was practically "cut off from the world" for nearly seven years, and access to the village returned largely to the historic stairway.
The cable car reopened in 2025, restoring easier access for both locals and tourists. Today, only around ten people live in Monteviasco, while the historic complex retains its authentic look. At the top of the main staircase sits the sanctuary of Madona dela Serta.
The contrast between isolation and accessibility has shaped the village's present: a place of fragile continuity where conservation, seasonal visitors and the realities of remote living intersect.
Photo: press material from the event
