As Marchirolo Valley is the natural continuation of the Valganna Valley to the Lake Lugano so the Valtravaglia Valley is its natural outlet to Lake Maggiore. The valley is wide and wooded, the Margorabbia Brooks passes through it carrying the waters from Lake Ghirla to Lake Maggiore and is surrounded by the I Bedeloni Group with Mount Sette Termini (972 mt.) on the right and Mount Pian Nave (1058 mt.) on the left.

Some finds of Prehistorical Period have been discovered, but the valley was certainly inhabited at first by the Celts and from the half of the III sec. B.C. by the Romans. In the Middle Ages, by the institution of the feudal system, the parish of Valtravaglia was formed and that explains as some places on the Lake Maggiore, such as PortoValtravaglia, have in their name the attribute Valtravaglia even they aren't in Valtravaglia Valley.

In the 1950s a tramway linked Luino and the Lake Maggiore to Varese. Some evidences of this way are still recognizable and some stations are in good state of preservation, like that one of Molino d'Anna.

These are the towns along the Valtravaglia Valley : Montegrino Valtravaglia, Brissago Valtravaglia, Grantola, Mesenzana.