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

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One of the wildest and less known valleys in Valtellina

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An itinerary of snowboarding and ski touring

Swimming courses, tuina massages and a 60-metre long slide for sports lovers of any age

It is from Lombardy that some of the most famous Italian cheeses come from all over the world