The alpine paradise of Switzerland is distinguished by a picturesque landscape of glacial lakes and snowcapped mountains dotted with villages of charming red geranium-laden wooden chalets.
The 12 villages of the remote Bavona Valley in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino share similar characteristics, but their stone architecture is less representative of that archetypal Swiss style. That’s not the only thing marking them as outliers—this valley of stone exists completely off the grid.