A watch-tower that was turned into an austere noble palace, which now hosts one of the most beautiful stüe in Valtellina.

Albosaggia Porto, Albosaggia Centro, Contrio, Cà dei Boscacci, San Giacomo, San Bernardo di Faedo, Cà Romeri, Cà dei Giugni, Giambelli, Gandola, Albosaggia Centro, Monaci, Pedruzzi, Albosaggia Porto

Equitazione Alpina is born from the passion, over 30 years long, of Simone, a companion of equestrian tourism certified SEF-Italy - C.O.N.I.A few steps from Sondrio, in the heart of the Alps, where Parco delle Orobie begins, surrounded by wild nature and yet to be discovered, you can find Alpine Horse Riding.We offer boarding for your horse in boxes and paddocks, walks of one or more hours for beginners, treks of one or more days for the more experienced, riding school, training and re-education of your horse. ALBOSAGGIA-SAN BERNARDO ITINERARYIt is a simple walk, suitable for untrained horses and riders.Climb up a beautiful mule track immersed in the deciduous forest typical of Orobie Valtellinesi park until you come out onto the flat and sunny meadows of San Bernardo.Once you get there, you can't miss a snack or a typical Valtellina lunch at Agriturismo Gaggi.www.agriturismogaggi.it ALBOSAGGIA-LAGO CASERA ITINERARYPath indicated only for horses and riders with excellent training.Go along the road that reaches Campelli in Albosaggia, from here you take a comfortable carriage road that will take you to your destination.This is the most complete route where it is possible to see all the types of terrain that Orobie Valtellinesi park offers.Once at the top it is possible to admire Mount Disgrazia and Bernina group.At the lake you can have lunch or taste the cheeses produced in the surrounding mountain pasture at Stella Orobica farm. www.stellaorobica.com HORSE RIDING IN VALMALENCOEquitazione Alpina is located in the heart of Parco delle Orobie Valtellinesi, in Albosaggia. From the end of June to the beginning of September, Equitazione Alpina moves to Valmalenco, in the Sabbionaccio area of San Giuseppe.Several itineraries are proposed. From simple excursions of an hour or a few hours for beginners to day trips that allow you to reach the magical basin of Alpe Palù, accompanied by an excellent lunch made of typical food, at Lago Palù shelter or at Malga Rundai farmhouse.Another novelty is the possible horse-drawn carriage rides, where you can be comfortably transported  to appreciate the surrounding nature.   CONTACTS SimoneSEF-Italia authorized guide – C.O.N.I.Via Carasalli, 23010 Albosaggia (SO)Website: http://www.equitazionealpina.it/info@equitazionealpina.it+39 348-2821009  

The 16th century house is in the old town center, close to the church  of Saint Martin and is surrounded by a large garden. The U-shaped building encloses a polychrome cobblestone courtyard, that can be reached through a nice tree-lined boulevard. The house is sober and elegant, typical features of the noble palaces of the time. An austere stone portal is in attraverso un bel viale alberato. Ha forme sobrie ed eleganti, tipica dei palazzi nobiliari dell'epoca. Un austero portale in pietra si apre nella facciata principale, affiancato da due piccole finestrelle quadrate con davanzali in pietra lavorata. Sopra a queste si trova un doppio allineamento di finestre che si sviluppano su due piani. I serramenti ancora presenti sono quelli originari. Sul fianco settentrionale, in parte interrato, si vedono due aperture circolari (oculi) corrispondenti al vano scale. All'interno i proprietari hanno mantenuto la tipologia e l'uso originari senza stravolgere l'antica distribuzione dei locali: i pavimenti sono in pietra a grandi lastre o in assi di legno, i soffitti sono voltati a crociera, in alcuni casi decorati con stucchi o affreschi decorativi. Al primo piano si trova una bellissima stüa rivestita in legno e finemente decorata, con un'elegante «pigna» in maiolica che viene caricata dal locale attiguo. Di notevole interesse è anche la scala in marmo bianco con colonnine lavorate, che collega i diversi piani. All'interno si trovano gli arredi originari, così come anche le porte interne ed i serramenti, con i chiavistelli originali. Completamente circondata da un vasto giardino all'italiana e da un bosco, la Casa Parravicini è uno dei pochi esempi in Valtellina di palazzo nobiliare, in cui l'adeguamento dei locali per l'uso d'abitazione e la realizzazione di servizi e bagni interni non hanno stravolto la struttura architettonica originaria.

From Varenna walk along the The Wayfarer's Path and discover this ancient route connecting Lake Como and Valtellina

Boredom is not allowed in Lombardy’s largest ski area, with 115 km of slopes and snow parks frequented by international athletes.

A stone's throw from the parish church of Sacco in Valgerola, an old building, until not too many years ago used as a stable and barn, houses the Homo Salvadego Museum. On the second floor, a door surmounted by a cartouche with auspicious writing and the Holy Trinity leads to the delightful "Camera Picta." The interior walls are painted with stencil decorations, floral motifs, and cartouches with Gothic lettering, partly in the vernacular and partly in Latin, bearing moralising proverbs and mottos. There is no lack of figurative parts: on one wall a panel with the Pieta and St. Anthony Abbot. On either side of the entrance door is an archer ready to shoot his dart, on the other a character with a hairy body and flowing beard. Flaunting a gnarled staff he reveals his identity through a cartouche placed like a cartoon: "Ego sonto un homo salvadego per natura, chi me ofende ge fo pagura." This is one of the most beautiful images, so far documented, of Homo Salvadego. A character who is not only a local phenomenon, but a true symbol of Alpine peasant culture. The frescoes, dated May 18, 1464, are the work of the masters "Batestinus and Simon," possibly from the Baschenis of Averara, a family of itinerant painters. Of the patron only the name is known: Agostinus De Zugnonibus. The most plausible hypothesis is that he was a notary; he was certainly a person of financial means and good culture. On the upper floor are a number of exhibition panels highlighting the spread in the Alpine context of architectural, pictorial and other expressive examples similar to that of Sacco. In addition, since 1988 the property has been owned by the Comunità Montana Valtellina di Morbegno, which oversaw its restoration and transformation into a specialized museum.

The church was erected between 1750 and 1754 based on a design by master builder Giacomo Cometti and his son Giovan Battista, both originally from Canton Ticino, two architects who were particularly highly regarded and very active in Valtellina at that time: Giacomo Cometti also directed the construction sites of the collegiate church in Sondrio.   The small building has behind it the square of Santa Maria Maddalena and the old village center preserved almost intact. The 'interior of the church is small with only one altar covered by a valuable silk altar frontal embroidered with the effigy ofOur Lady of Sorrows (18th cent.). On the back wall rises a rich carved, painted and gilded wooden frame with seven reliefs depicting Episodes from the life of Christ and the Virgin (18th cent.). A particularly significant work is the altarpiece, Our Lady of Sorrows with her heart pierced by seven swords and, kneeling at her feet, St. Francis of Paola, Mary Magdalene and St. Vincent Ferreri, the work of Vittoria Lig ari, a painter and daughter of the better-known Pietro Ligari, signed and dated 1756. The history of the making of this altarpiece is somewhat tortuous. The commission was initially made by the parish priest of Lanzada Pier Angelo Mottalini to the painter Cesare Ligari, son of Pietro who was a nephew of Don Mottalini himself. In fact, the commission, after a long and arduous negotiation that was unsuccessful for economic reasons, was finally given to Cesare's sister Vittoria, also a painter, who produced the work for a lower price. Although the payment was later paid to her brother Caesar, as was the custom at that time when women had no personal autonomy, let alone economic autonomy. The work underwent a recent restoration (2008). The church also preserves other valuable paintings on canvas, wooden furniture and sacred furnishings almost all of which date from the 18th century.   Source: Valmalenco Ecomuseum

Municipality of Lanzada (SO)

Especially in autumn, getting on a bike to explore a beautiful corner of Lombardy without resorting to our car is pleasant and possible.The destination to arrive at, and then set off pedaling, is Chiavenna, in the province of Sondrio, which can be reached by train. Valtelbike is a service made available precisely for those who want to move freely, with only the strength of their legs, a circuit that allows you to rent bikes in different locations in Valtellina, in our case Chiavenna, with the possibility of returning them to another location, for us Colico (Lecco), at the end of the excursion. We begin the ride through the streets of Chiavenna's center, among soapstone fountains, porphyry paving and typical locales; we cross the Mera River twice to find ourselves in front of Palazzo Balbiani, locally called the Castle; we pass under the Paradiso Botanical Park, an ancient and scenic stone quarry; and we climb northward arriving in the area of the crotti, small buildings exploited as natural refrigerators thanks to the Sorel, a wind that comes out of the mountain at 8ºC all year round. Today many have been converted back into restaurants. You reach the double drop of the Acquafraggia Waterfalls, able to fascinate Leonardo da Vinci so much that he cited them in the Atlantic Codex, you are in Borgonuovo di Piuro and it is here that you reverse course, heading south, returning to Chiavenna where you can admire two other noble historical-artistic testimonies: the Collegiate Church of San Lorenzo and the Monolithic Baptistery of 1100. Passing the Bridges over the Mera and Liro rivers, you pedal for 14 km slightly downhill on a paved path dedicated to bicycles. The peaks of the Chiavenna Valley provide the backdrop. At Novate Mezzola the environment changes abruptly: first the lake with its wide horizons, then the narrow mountainside passages. Verceia instead presents us with an extraordinary work of military engineering: the San Fedele mine tunnel. A charming lakeside passage introduces us to the Piani di Spagna Nature Reserve. From here to the Adda a few kilometers on the road require a minimum of attention, but the last stretch along the river puts us back in touch with nature; we pass by Fort Fuentes, of Spanish origin, and Fort Montecchio, dating back to the Great War; finally, we skirt the Lario and from the Molo di Colico we end the ride at the Lecco town's train station, in the shadow of Mount Legnone. - Cover image: @klaus dell'orto

An adventurous trek to discover the glacier

A33-kilometer route full of charm, its center of gravity is the Val Viola valley between Livigno and Bormio, in the province of Sondrio, and the Val da Camp and Val Poschiavo in Switzerland. Suitable for bikers with good downhill technical skills, equipped with a two-wheeled biammortized bike. Thanks to the shuttle service of the Bike skill center in Livigno, we start from the well-known tourist center in the upper Valtellina carrying the bikes up to the Foscagno Pass (2,291 m). We start pedaling toward the nearby resort of Angelina (2,240 m) and take trail 186-195. We descend on dirt road in the direction of Arnoga. Further on we re-enter on a path immersed in the forest and at a crossroads, shortly after a hairpin bend, we take a right following trail marker 195, still in the direction of Arnoga (1,870 m). We cross state road 301 and join trail 290. The route to follow is to the Viola refuge. The route, first single track then dirt road, begins to climb through the woods taking us, after pedaling for about 9 kilometers along Val Viola and passing through Alpe Dosdé (2,138 m), to Val Viola Lake and the Viola refuge (2,314 m). The imposing silhouette of the Dosdé horn (3,232 m) provides the backdrop. A refreshment stop at the refuge is a must. Once rested, we get back in the saddle in the direction of the Val Viola pass (2,470 m) and enter Swiss territory. We follow the Val da Camp route 32. We cross the plans da la Genzana and di Giardin, a glance at the lagh da Val Viola and then pedal in the direction of Saoseo Lake. We continue the descent surrounded by larches and the trail along the valley alternates, guaranteeing a high rate of fun for enthusiasts, single track to trails. After about 1,400 meters of elevation gain we reach Angeli Custodi (1,113 m), a hamlet of Poschiavo in the valley of the same name. From Switzerland we return to Livigno by shuttle. - Ph: Giulio Masperi