Rhaetian Alps

Valmalenco is a real "snow paradise", well known among winter sports enthusiasts: this is the ideal place for alpine skiing, nordic skiing and ski mountaineering. With its ski resort, Chiesa in Valmalenco has a deep skiing tradition, also thanks to its ski resort, boasting modern ski lifts and the Snow Eagle, one of the biggest cable cars in the world. 

Valmalenco is also the place where to go on some of the  most fascinating ski mountaineering excursions that the Alps can offer. Lanzada, Chiareggio and the Palù lake are the ideal settings for nordic skiing in winter and mountain bike tours in summer. 

An extensive network of trails linking "hut to hut" - immersed in an environment of high natural, historic and ethnographic value - leads visitors to the discovery of amazing sceneries dominated by the pyramid of Piz Scalino. The Marinelli hut - the oldest hut in the valley - is the ideal destination for anyone, while the modern Marco e Rosa hut can only be reached by expert mountaineers, ready to challenge themselves along a demanding trail. 

The High Route of Valmalenco is a loop trail on the boarder between Lombardy and Engadine. The trail is 110 km long, it departs from Torre di Santa Maria and reaches the feet of Mount Disgrazia, Piz Bernina and Piz Scalino, majestic peaks that reach an altitude of 4000 m. The glacial lakes can't be missed: Lagazzuolo, Palù, Entova, the small lakes in Campagneda and the artificial lakes created by the grand dikes of Campo Moro and Alpe Gera. 

Valmalenco is also know for being a site rich in minerals (260 different types) and for this reason the valley is internationally renown. Mining is extremely important for the economy of Valmalenco: mined minerals (mainly serpentine, soapstone and talc) and their processing are highly appreciated for their quality and the final products are exported all over the world. The Bagnada mine is a must see, for it allows visitors to take a leap into the past and get a glimpse of miners' life and work.