Cannobino

The Cannobino is a little river or stream located in the province of Verbano Cusio Ossola in the region of Piedmont in the north of Italy, which by the local population often is simply called 'Il Fiume' (the river).

Basin
The Cannobino rises on the slopes of the Italian Alps near the Cima della Laurasca, elevation 2195 m, and meanders through the Cannobino valley (in Italian 'Valle Cannobina'). The first 20 km of the stream is not wider than some 10 m, but next to the church of Sant'Anna in the villages of Traffiume the water flows through a cleft that is many meters deep and ends up in a natural basin a few meters deep and almost 100 m wide. From here on the stream winds itself through a bed that is more than 50 m wide through the town of Cannobio to flow into the Lake Maggiore (in Italian 'Lago Maggiore'), elevation 192 m. On this journey, approximately 25 km long, the river crosses the following municipalities: Malesco, Gurro, Valle Cannobina and finally Cannobio.

Torrente
In general the Cannobino is a quietly flowing stream, but a couple of times a year the influx of water from the surrounding mountains suddenly increases strongly, causing the stream to change into a wild watermass. For this reason the Cannobino is called a 'torrente'.

Recreation
The Cannobino is mainly used for recreational purposes. A number of campgrounds and hotels are situated on its banks and near the Sant'Anna cleft the stream is wide and deep enough for diving, swimming and sailing rubber boats.