Between legends and reality

Imagine Alpine and pre-Alpine valleys, shining lakes and a great, boundless plain. That's Lombardy, an area so unique and diverse that it is the cradle of so many exquisite goodnesses.   As many as 264 regional traditional products, 34 PDO and PGI certified products and 13 Slow Food presidia. Good food in Lombardy is therefore synonymous with quality, respect for the environment and healthy, wholesome products that come from a thriving agriculture that can perfectly combine tradition and innovation. Lombardy's typical cuisine is a riot of flavors. If you are looking for an oil with a delicate taste and almond aftertaste, don't missOlio del Garda, while if rice is among your favorite products, don't miss visiting Lomellina in the Pavia area, where rice has been grown for at least five centuries.Whether you are in the mountains or in the plains, a taste of the delicious cheeses, from Taleggio to Grana Padano, or cured meats from Salame di Varzi in Oltrepò Pavese to Bresaola della Valtellina is not to be missed. Tasty and varied are the fish dishes prepared on the shores of the lakes, from Como to Varese, from Lecco to Brescia. And strong mountain dishes, first among them the pizzoccheri of Valtellina and polenta taragna. In Mantua the queen of the table is the pumpkin, used in the preparation of exquisite tortelli, while in Milan dishes were born that now occupy a place of honor in the imagination of every gourmet in Italy and around the world, such as risotto alla Milanese with veal ossobuco, cassoeula and cotoletta. Among the desserts not to be missed are Sbrisolona of Mantua, Torrone of Cremona and Panettone of Milan. And it is in the region's historic trattorias and award-winning starred restaurants that the excellence of a gastronomic tradition with an ancient history but an open eye to the future is exalted.

Along the Cech Coast

In the shadow of the most imposing peak of the Orobie Valtellinesi, Pizzo di Coca (3050 m), the itinerary unfolds in the shady Val d'Arigna and is dotted with suggestions, both religious and cultural. Not to mention that the 10 monitored glaciers make Val d'Arigna the most glaciated area in the Orobie Valtellinesi. Protagonist of the highly committed hike is the figure of St. Stephen who, before suffering martyrdom by stoning, also passed through Valtellina for the work of evangelization. On the Orobic side he departed from the village of Castello dell'Acqua, ascending the mountains to find refuge, taking flight to reach places of meditation, as legend has it. Today the saint's traces are visible in place names such as the Lower Lake of Santo Stefano and the pass of the same name at 2693 m, but also on the marks imprinted on some rocks where legend has it that the saint had placed his feet and the "cazzet" he used to curdle milk, received as alms. The strenuoushike starts from Briotti (1049 m), gateway to the Orobie Valtellinesi Park, a hamlet of the municipality of Ponte in Valtellina, where Santo Stefano undertook the last stretch of the walk. Take trail number 265 to Prati di Torre (1145 m) and Baite Bernè (1310 m), then enter a cool forest. When you reach Baita Spanone (1559 m) stop to look for a new footprint of the saint placed on a rock. Following to the right towards Bocchetta di Santo Stefano, you touch the Zocc de li Möli, at the foot of the dam, come across the small church of Santo Stefano (1848 m) and climb up towards Lago di Sopra (2124 m). On this route, you catch a glimpse of Middle Lake (1936 m) on the left as you walk up the steep slope to Bocchetta (2378 m). From here the view sweeps seamlessly over the glacial balconies that house the three lakes, glimpsing the Adamello and Cevedale mountain groups, the Bernina and Badile massifs, and Monte Rosa in the distance. On the opposite side of the Bocchetta, a valley descends to the Armisola Alp, while just above the Lago Inferiore (2139 m) a path branches off on the left hydrographic side that leads in just under an hour to the Gino and Massimo hut in Grioni (1850 m). From the refuge for the descent to Briotti via Armisola (trail 267) one can take the forest track that passes through Paiosa (1160 m) and descends to the former Gaggio decauville; alternatively the trail that touches Mason di Sopra (1412 m), Le Piane (1240 m) and from there to Briotti.

Montagna in Valtellina

Posta nel cuore delle Alpi, al confine tra Italia e Svizzera, da sempre Tirano è un naturale crocevia di popoli e culture, mercanti e viaggiatori.

Sondalo is within walking distance of the major tourist centers of Alta Valtellina and lies at the foot of the Stelvio National Park, a large and wonderful alpine nature reserve within which part of its territory lies.

Welcome to Lake Como An Immersive Experience. Here culture comes to life and the lands unveil through a unique sensorial experience.

Pedaling to little tibet

Ahike that can be done on foot or with mountaineering skis if conditions permit, at these altitudes snow can remain until late spring and even in summer, it is good to inquire about conditions before leaving is to have all the necessary equipment. An excursion also suitable for those who want to get closer to the higher altitudes, a route up to the summit of the Valtellina mountain in the heart of the highest war theater of the Great War. We are in Val Cedèc, a side valley of Valle dei Forni, in upper Valtellina, a silent, snow-shrouded environment that hides the many relics of the First World War. Remains of trenches and barracks, military villages and barracks remind us that here, one hundred years ago, a significant page of the White War was written, the one at the absolute highest altitudes of the entire war front. The Cevedale peak, in the southern Rhaetian Alps, is a popular ski mountaineering destination. Uniting three valleys-Valfurva, Val di Pejo and Val Martello-it can also be reached from Val di Solda. Our starting point is the parking lot of Rifugio dei Forni. It can be reached from Santa Caterina Valfurva (Sondrio) by car along the toll road (toll column at the beginning of the route). The route to Cevedale climbs to the left along the Val Cedèc dirt road. Three hairpin bends are followed and then the route becomes almost flat, leading gradually to Rifugio Pizzini. From here you continue straight in a northeast direction until almost to the start of the Casati Refuge cable car, where you veer sharply to the right, heading east. The slopes begin to steepen and you pass under the rocky ridge that climbs to Cevedale. You face, keeping to the left, the Cedèc vedretta on very wide and regular slopes, until you reach a detour to the left where the glacier is spectacularly seracified and with a marked increase in slope. You climb the steepest part to the east and exit to the right in the direction of the pass that connects with Val di Pejo. Thus you reach diagonally, overcoming the last steep slope, the antecedent on the northeast ridge and traverse the terminal part on the level, arriving at the summit cross. Just before the latter, on the right, are the ruins of an old hut dating from the Great War. The descent route follows that of the ascent, one of the most beautiful and easiest of the Lombard glaciers. Beware, however, of possible crevasses, the greatest danger of this hike.

To adventure on the Valtellina side of the Orobie Mountains.

Teglio in Valtellina è la casa del pizzocchero, piatto tipico della tradizione valtellinese, ma non solo. Borgo di rilevanza storica e terra abitata fin dai tempi preistorici, vanta un ampio patrimonio culturale e artistico, contornato dalle bellezze naturali.