Aroute suitable for those who enjoy hiking and biking, it joins the three areas in the province of Sondrio where most apple orchards are concentrated: the conoids of Sernio-Lovero, Bianzone and Ponte in Valtellina.

Each area can be explored by going beyond the itinerary, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle of the bloom. We leave the car at the Tirano train station, which can also be reached by train, of course, for those who do not wish to get behind the wheel. Thus opting for a soft mobility solution.

Here it is possible to rent bicycles. Crossing the historic part of the town, we climb from Via XX Settembre to Porta Bormina, where we begin to immerse ourselves in the flowering trees and, following country roads, cross the apple orchards between Cologna, Sernio and Lovero. Past the latter, we descend to the Adda River, cross it and pedal, in the direction of Sondrio, along the Valtellina trail, which, with excellent signage and rest areas, takes us back to Tirano. We continue and just past Villa di Tirano, on the right, the second expanse of apple orchards opens up, that of the Bianzone conoid. We can leave the Valtellina trail and ascend to the Rhaetian side by the paths that weave through the blooms.

After wandering around, we return to the Valtellina trail and continue on toward the provincial capital. We stay in the saddle for about 16 km and leave the famous Valtellina bike path just after Chiuro taking, on the right, the bridge over the Adda River. We follow Via Cavour and Via Mazzini and ride to the Ponte in Valtellina train station.

We go up the Rhaetian slope again to explore, this time, the conoid that runs between the municipalities of Ponte and Tresivio. We can add a visit to the quaint old town of the former or descend straight back to the train station where we board the first train back to Tirano. The more well-trained can choose to retrace by bicycle the 22-km-long Sentiero Valtellina (Valtellina Trail) to the well-known location of the Little Red Train.

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Cover image: @mariacristinabrambilla