There are nine Sacred Mountains that have been part of UNESCO's heritage since 2003, two in Lombardy (Ossuccio and Varese) and seven in Piedmont (Belmonte, Crea, Domodossola, Ghiffa, Oropa, Orta, and Varallo). Three of them, the Sacred Mountain of Ghiffa, the Sacred Mountain of Orta, and the Sacred Mountain of Domodossola, are easily accessible from Verbania.

The Sacred Mountains, built between the late 15th and early 18th centuries, are architectural complexes generally erected on the top of a hill. Within these complexes, the history of Christ, the life of Mary or the Saints, or the mysteries of the Rosary are represented through paintings and sculptures. These complexes serve as a model of unity between human presence, capable of constructing while respecting and integrating architectural elements into the surrounding landscapes, enhancing them with a remarkable artistic heritage in the form of sculptures and frescoes.

Visiting one of the Sacred Mountains is an experience that combines the actual physical journey with the symbolic, religious, and meditative path, experienced spiritually.

There are 111 prehistoric pile-dwelling archaeological sites in the Alps recognized by UNESCO, and 19 are located in Italy. Among these, the Natural Park of Lagoni di Mercurago, in Arona about forty kilometers from Verbania, is a protected area (Protected Areas of Ticino and Lake Maggiore) hosting one of the first pile dwellings discovered in Europe in the mid-19th century and the first studied scientifically in Italy.

Archaeological excavations have allowed the recovery of objects such as ceramics, weapons, metal ornaments, flint tools, glass beads, and wooden artifacts. The findings in Mercurago, jointly with the site at Lake Viverone in Azeglio, were inscribed on the UNESCO list because they constitute a unique and well-preserved group of culturally rich archaeological sites, representing one of the most important sources for the study of the early agrarian societies in Piedmont.

An important ecological corridor along the Ticino River between Piedmont and Lombardy, the territory of the Ticino Val Grande Verbano Biosphere Reserve is listed in the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere reserves. The reserve encompasses and preserves significant and diverse biodiversity and various ecosystems guaranteed by different types of landscapes.

While traversing the reserve, one can encounter traditional rural landscapes, areas dedicated to grazing interspersed with cornfields and marshes. In September 2017, the Ticino Valley Reserve, a UNESCO heritage site since 2002, submitted a new candidacy for the extension of the MAB area to the Swiss border, including the entire area of Lake Maggiore, the coastal municipalities, and the territories related to the Val Grande National Park and the Campo dei Fiori Regional Park. Officially recognized in 2018, the reserve was named Ticino Val Grande Verbano to identify the main territorial areas included in the new area of over 332,000 hectares.

The managing entities of the reserve are the Lombard Ticino Valley Park and the Ticino Natural Park, now the Piedmontese Ticino Park and Lake Maggiore Park.

The Sesia Val Grande Geopark is located in northwestern Piedmont, stretching from Lake Maggiore to the Swiss border and from Monte Rosa to the Aosta Valley border.

Recognized as a geopark by UNESCO in 2013 for the scientific importance of the geological aspects of the area, it became part of the UNESCO Global Geoparks network in 2015. The network includes areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a comprehensive and integrated concept of protection, education, and sustainable development.

The geological specificity of this area is closely linked to all the characteristics of the territory, including the presence of different types of rocks, significant altitude variations, and diverse environments, guaranteeing a wide variety of living forms. These unique environmental features have influenced human life, economic aspects, social and cultural traditions, such as the presence of the Walser population.

Another testament to the natural and cultural importance of the geopark area is the presence of numerous protected natural areas and three Sacred Mountains (Varallo, Domodossola, and Ghiffa).

The art of building dry stone walls, stacking stones on top of each other without using other materials, entered the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2018.

The existence of these walls, sometimes used for building houses or shelters, is important to combat slope fragility, prevent landslides, slow down avalanches, and reduce erosion, especially in the steep terrains typical of mountains. However, they are also a symbol of the union and respectful coexistence of humans, nature, and the landscape.

Inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2019, mountaineering is defined as the art of climbing high mountain peaks, in all seasons, on rocky or icy terrains. To practice mountaineering, physical, technical, and intellectual skills are required, as well as highly specialized equipment and tools developed over time.

Mountaineering, born in 1760 in the Mont Blanc massif, is practiced throughout the Alpine region, including Mount Rosa, easily accessible in a short time from Verbania.