Museo della Montagna e del Contrabbando
Museum in a Walser house in the hamlet of Staffa in Macugnaga, dedicated to mountaineering on Monte Rosa and to smuggling in the mountains.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum is housed in a traditional Walser building in the locality of Staffa, in the Prati area of Macugnaga, at the foot of Monte Rosa. The exhibition is arranged in three sections linked by the theme of the mountains.
On the ground floor are the cartoons by the caricaturist Aldo Mazza (1880–1964), which humorously recount mountaineering on Monte Rosa. On the upper floor are objects linked to the mountaineering history of Macugnaga, some recovered from the glacier, including equipment used by the local guides on the east face of Monte Rosa and documents about the mountain guide Mattia Zurbriggen.
The section on smuggling presents photographs, newspaper articles and first-hand testimonies about an illegal activity that, in the recent past, was for many mountain families the only means of livelihood.
Highlights
- Satirical cartoons by Aldo Mazza on mountaineering on Monte Rosa
- Documents on the mountain guide Mattia Zurbriggen
- Mountaineering equipment recovered from the glacier
- Section on mountain smuggling
Permanent exhibition
- Alpinismo, caricature e contrabbando – Three sections: the cartoons of Aldo Mazza, the mountaineering history of Macugnaga and mountain smuggling.
- Visitors per year
- approx. 1,000
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: not available
- Elevator: not available
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The building has several floors and no lift.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Schools must book in advance through the tourist office. |
