Help with creative craft projects in Ossola VB, Italy

Infos

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  Description

  Hi there !
  
  🏡 About the place:
  In 2025, I bought a few old houses and land in a previously more or less abandoned village in the Italian Alps, Piedmont, in between Domodossola and Lago Maggiore. The village is located in a natural and peaceful environment in the heart of the mountains.
  The moment I came here, I fell in love with the peaceful energy.
  The land is very large, there are many trees and my dream of having a veggie and flower garden and maybe some animals.
  The house isn't finished yet, it’s in old condition style with electricity.
  Here with friends we are renovating a lovely typical stone house abandoned for years, to which we are giving a new life, using sustainable and traditional building techniques.
  Apart from the renovation itself, we want to create a friendly community that brings people here. We are always happy to welcome anyone who could help, share knowledge and/or want to learn from others. We are looking for open-minded people who are interested in rural life, sustainability, crafts and cultural exchange.
  
  There's a lot of potential here, and many parts are still a work in progress — inside and out.
  We want to bring new life to the village and that's exactly where I need your help :-)))
  
  👩‍⚕️ About us:
  - Max (36), a german Craftsmans, working full-time in the renovation project, in his free time he likes hiking and going on trips and getting to know new places in the surroundings, speaks native German and Italian and fluent English.
  - Lena (33), German, working as environmental scientist online, yoga and breath work teacher enjoying time in nature , speaks native German and fluent English and Spanish, learning Italian.
  - Nino (5) 🐕 the cute and funny Dog.
  
  👀 Who we’re looking for:
  Someone kind, curious, open to sharing space and conversation — but also okay with quiet time and self-direction.
  You don’t need to be an expert: a willingness to learn and contribute is what matters most, there are so many things to do!
  
  🤝 You can help with:
  
  There are projects to do with fixing the house and maintaining the land, for example:
  
  - cleaning the meadows, cutting grass, raking, collecting small stones, piling up branches.
  - depending on your skills you can build your own projects.
  - cooking and general cleaning
  - piling firewood
  
  🌿 What you can expect:
  
  You come to a place that’s very peaceful and quiet, surrounded by wild nature. You can go hiking, visit waterfalls and swim in the river. The place is great if you want a to escape the daily stress and find some time peace and quiet for yourself, and connect and ground with nature.
  You can get learn a lot about the valley and the surroundings, and walk to nearby villages.
  Also, with public transport you can do many trips:
  - visit the city Domodossola’s Saturday’s big market,
  - take a day trip to Milan, Torino,
  - go alpine hiking around Macugnaga at the foot of Monte Rosa,
  - swim in the nearby beautiful lakes: Lago Maggiore, Lago d’Orta, Lago Mergozzo, Lago Antrona
  
  Max is a very experienced craftsman and if you’re interested in sustainable and traditional construction techniques you can learn a lot from him.
  Lena loves to do yoga and meditation and you can join if you want.
  Nino is always happy to receive cuddles and will happily accompany you on a hike or walk.
  
  The help are still in the beginnings, so some things are still temporary. The conditions are still quite basic, but the beautiful nature makes up for it. We have an outdoor shower, normal toilet in the old vine cellar and soon a compost toilet.
  
  🥙 Food:
  
  Cooking: We eat vegetarian and mostly organic. Cooking help is usually shared and we eat lunch and dinner together. We provide breakfast stuff and two cooked meals a day.
  The food provided is the same food we normally buy and eat at home: simple, varied and mostly plant-based meals. Guests who would like specific products or extra food are welcome to buy them for themselves. Please inform us about allergies, intolerances or special dietary requirements before confirming your stay, so that we can check whether we are able to accommodate them.
  
  🏠 Accommodation:
  - Two simple rooms with mattresses.
  - A big shared attic.
  - Space for camping.
  
  ⚠️Keeping your own room clean and tidy is the volunteer’s responsibility.
  We ask you to maintain daily basic order: making the bed, dusting surfaces when needed, and keeping personal items/clothes organized. I ask that you leave the room clean for the arrival of a new guest.
  
  🫶 General information:
  You can access the place with public transport: The next train station is Domodossola. From there goes a bus in the valley or we can pick you up with the car.
  The next airport is Milano Malpensa. From there goes a shuttle bus to Domodossola.
  
  We don’t smoke or drink alcohol.

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Pratique d’une langue

  Aide avec des éco-projets

  Jardinage d'entretien

  Projets DIY créatifs

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille

  Petits travaux d'entretien
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  Centres d’intérêt

  

  Vie en van

  

  LGBT+

  

  Culture

  

  Bénévolat

  

  Animaux de compagnie

  

  Films et télé

  

  Ferme

  

  Événements/vie sociale

  

  Danse

  

  Yoga / bien-être

  

  Randonnée

  

  Plage

  

  Cyclisme

  

  Activités en plein air

  

  Nature

  

  Montagne

  

  Sports d'aventure

  

  Camping

  

  Auto-stop

  

  Animaux

  

  Menuiserie

  

  Langues

  

  Musique

  

  Art et design

  

  Cuisine et alimentation

  

  Bricolage / artisanat

  

  Soin des plantes

  

  Jardinage

  

  Photographie

  

  Architecture
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  A good time in the mountains.
  
  You can learn how the old mountain culture & works here.
  I can share both Italian and German culture, and we can speak in Italian, German , English (or mix them all if you'd like!).
  
  Lots of new stuff every day :-)
  
  Max is a very experienced craftsman and if you’re interested in sustainable and traditional construction techniques you can learn a lot from him.
  Lena loves to do yoga and meditation and you can join if you want.
  Nino 🐕 is always happy to receive cuddles and will happily accompany you on a hike or walk.

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  Projets impliquant des enfants

  Ce projet peut impliquer des enfants. Pour en savoir plus, consultez nos directives et conseils ici.

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  Aide

  There are projects to do with fixing the house and maintaining the land, for example:
  - cleaning the meadows, cutting grass, raking, collecting small stones, piling up branches.
  - depending on your skills you can build your own projects, for example building an outdoor kitchen
  - cooking and general cleaning
  - preparing the camping area for Friends & Workaway

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  Langues parlées

  Allemand: Courant
  Anglais: Courant
  Espagnol: Courant
  Italien: Courant

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  Hébergement

  - Two simple rooms with mattresses.
  - A big shared attic.
  - Space for camping.
  
  There is breakfast, lunch and dinner.

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  Autres infos...

  The nearest station is Domodossola. From there also takes a bus to us in the valley. We can collect you there. Possibly also directly in Domodossola are 30min.
  
  Free time:
  *Hiking: There are many mountains here and you can do alpine hiking and trekking
  *Bathing: in rivers or lakes (Lago Maggiore, Mergozzo, Orta, Antrona)
  *Climbing: There are different climbing areas around
  *Horseriding: there is a stable in the valley
  *Explore the cities and nature
  *Much more. Just ask what interests you ;-)

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  Informations complémentaires

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    Accès Internet

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    Accès Internet limité

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    Nous avons des animaux

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    Nous sommes fumeurs

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    Familles bienvenues

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  Possibilité d’accueillir les digital nomads

  There is good Mobile 4G + 5G and we have wifi to charge when needed . You can work with your laptop PC here.

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  Espace pour garer des vans

  There is a small space on the street for parking an campervan under the trees. From there it’s a few meters to walk to the village.

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  Possibilité d'accueillir les animaux

  Yes, pets are welcome! If you have a male uncastrated dog, we have to keep him apart from Nino. But we will find a way to manage.

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Plus de 2

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  Mes animaux

  

  Nino

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