A train makes its way through the steep mountain terrain leading to the Ticino. (Photo courtesy of Switzerland Tourism)

At one end of the railway line sits a romantic lakeside Swiss city of piazzas and festivals. At the other is an Italian town with a huge open-air market each Saturday. In between -- adventure, beautiful scenery, open-air grottos, mountainside hiking paths and hidden gems.

This is the "Centovalli" -- the river valley that, according to its name, connects with 100 valleys. This is also home to the "Centovalli" -- the comfortable train that winds its way from Locarno, in the Swiss canton of Ticino, to Domodossola, Italy, stopping along the way at towns and villages, each offering its own particular adventure.

The journey itself, with no stops, can be breathtaking, with gorgeous scenery and unexpected moments like the high, spidery bridge at Intragna. From Locarno to Domodossola, the trip covers only 55 km. But by the time you have been carried as high as 836 metres above sea level and back down into the valley to Domodossola, you will have crossed 83 bridges and viaducts, climbed mountain sides and journeyed in two nations.

Magical city

Let's begin at the beginning -- Locarno, a magical city that rises from the lakeside gardens and piers along Lake Maggiore to the heights of a mountain called Cardada. Locarno is in Ticino, the sole Italian-speaking canton of Switzerland. Central to the city is the grand piazza, with dozens of cafes eager to serve coffee or the famed white Merlot wine of Ticino.

By the way -- when we say "Italian-speaking," the truth is almost everyone in Ticino speaks Italian, French, German and, often, English.

Locarno is worth exploring for several days with good shopping, great dining and fine places to stay. Our favourite is the Hotel Orselina, reached by way of a funicular ride up the mountainside. That funicular can also be the first stage of a mountain-top adventure, continuing up Cardada by "tear-drop" gondola for great views and walks, and then carrying on via chair lift to the top. Many adventurous types -- and a few who miss the last chair lift down (not that we would be that careless, honest) -- then hike back down the mountain, where the energy spent is soon forgotten among the serene natural paths and spectacular views.

At the bottom of the funicular, you are near the docks, where you can catch a boat to any of the lovely Swiss or Italian towns along the lake. These are the perils lying at the entrance to your Centovalli adventure. Our advice: Schedule at least two days to submit to them, before or after you ride the Centovalli.

Only a short block from the lowest stop of the funicular is the entrance to the Centovalli railroad. The trip begins underground, emerging into a gorgeous view.

By now, you should have decided about stops. (Some trains skip some stations so be sure to consult the schedule.) In making those decisions, you will realize the Centovalli is a multi-day attraction in its own right. One trip might take you no farther than Ponte Brolla, an early stop, where unique rock formations along an ancient river provide a spectacular place to swim and relax.

We recommend disembarking a few stops further, at the Verdasio station. But there is still another decision to be made. On one side of the tracks is the gondola heading high to Monte Comino, the beginning of a great mountainside hike back east, through Costa to another gondola down to Intragna. There are eateries -- known as "grottos" -- at Monte Comino and Costa, while Intragna has the excellent though quite high end Station Restaurant. The Centovalli Railway provides excursion maps and instructions.

Hiking shoes

These kinds of hikes abound throughout the Centovalli. The scenery is spectacular, the air clear and the adventure unbounded. A good pair of hiking shoes is advisable.

But back to the station at Verdasio and the decision it demands. Because on the other side of the tracks is the gondola to carry you up to Rasa.

Rasa is unique. This ancient stone village can be reached only via the gondola. Imagine our surprise when we came to share our gondola ride with an inhabitant of Rasa, his large, friendly dog and his potter's wheel!

"This is the only means in which we can transport our supplies and furnishings," he explained shyly.

As we stepped from the gondola, we eyed our companion with envy. It was as if we had been transported into another world, much like Alice as she emerged from the rabbit's hole to her "Wonderland."

Clean air

What we were privileged to see was truly a wonderland of its own. The feel of the clean mountain air on your face and the warm sun coaxing the first spring flowers from their winter snows, the picturesque views -- on a clear day, the snow-capped mountain tops opposite and the various hillside communities that dot the mountainside.

We approached sensory overload. When we thought that there couldn't possibly be any more, we heard bells from the stone church. As we neared its ancient walls we read a plaque commemorating the oldest working organ in Switzerland! As we wondered how an organ -- let alone a whole church -- found its way up the mountainside, our minds raced back to the gondola ride shared with the potter's wheel.

We descended alone, and caught the train to Locarno.

Ah ... you have discerned the problem -- three times you have boarded the Centovalli, passport and Swissrail pass in hand, and you have not yet made it to the Italian border. But you have visited Ponte Brolla, Intragna, Monte Comino and Rasa; you have sipped Merlot in grottos and breathed the clean mountain air; you have discovered primroses; you have eaten fabulous Ticinese food.

The good news is, it's Saturday, market day in Domodossola. This time, take the express Centovalli, skipping the smaller stations. Once you have cleared on-train customs at Camedo, you are in Italy.

You might stop in Re, to visit the pilgrimage church. Or you may stay on the train until it winds down into the Italian market town of Domodossola.

The Domodossola market features darned near everything, from raw fish to silk ties. There are streets of flower vendors, booths selling lace, vendors offering mushrooms, sellers of scarves, and booths of nothing but olives!

The prices are good (it's euros here, not Swiss francs) but the sellers are unilingually Italian.

However -- a word to the wise -- the pizza sold at street cafes here is inexplicably terrible compared to the great Italian food in Ticino. We don't understand it either.

When you get back to Locarno, even if you're not staying there, have dinner at the Hotel Orselina. Tell them we sent you. And that we'll be back. The Centovalli calls. And we very wisely will answer, every time.

Having completed your mission -- you finally made it to Domodossola, and you actually bought a great silk tie and some fresh fruit -- you can relax and enjoy the journey back to Locarno. En route, check your guide books so you don't miss the Roman bridges, the ancient churches and the stone villages.

If you go:

MORE INFO: For Centovalli railway and Centovalli excurisions, visit www.centovalli.ch or e-mail info@centovalli.ch.

For the canton of Ticino, visit www.ticino-tourism.

For general Switzerland tourist information, visit www.switzerland.com or call 212-757-5944.

Getting there: For reservations and information on Swiss air flights, see www.swiss.com.