• Active & Green

A holiday in the heart of the Alps: Valmalenco

A holiday in the heart of the Alps.

 

With its sky-scraping peaks, dominated by the Bernina massif, glaciers that testify to the real age of our planet, fragrant woods and towns nestling in luxuriant green nature, Valmalenco is the ideal destination for those who love to combine sport with total relaxation, taking time out to enjoy the mountain’s scenery, culture and pleasures of the palate.

Step by step
Strenuous, relaxing, adventurous or peaceful. All different kinds of hikes for those who love walking in unspoilt natural surroundings, listening to what the mountains have to say. Here, hikers are spoilt for choice in terms of trails. The giants in rock and ice that tower over the valley also have gentler slopes, welcoming visitors with the infinite beauty of little Alpine lakes, the peace of mountain pastures or the typical atmosphere of a mountain refuge with the added pleasure of genuine local specialities.

Right up to the glaciers
For those not afraid of long distances, the Alta Via della Valmalenco is an absolute must. This is a high altitude hike, about 110 km long, which can be completed in 8 stages or broken up into “mini Alte Vie” taking just 2 or 3 days. A truly enjoyable route that takes
in the valley’s most important and scenic points: the Chiareggio hollow, Lake Palù, the Scerscen narrow valley, and the dams at Campo Gera and Campo Moro. Including the exciting must of actually “touching” a glacier. To do so, simply get to Alpe Ventina and follow the Vittorio Sella glacier path from Rifugio Gerli, or the “sentiero glaciologico Luigi Marson” path that goes from the Bignami mountain refuge to the foot of the
majestic Fellaria glacier.

Hiking in nature and culture
The Valmalenco mountains also hold surprises for children thanks to the Alpe Prabello trails, which start from the Zoia and Cristina mountain refuges and from the Campagneda lakes. Slightly harder, but feasible for all, is the circular route
that allows hikers to discover the soapstone towns.
The mule track, which starts at the entrance to Primolo and then continues through a magnificent larch wood, offers enchanting views of Valmalenco and Pizzo Scalino. True natural wonders not to be missed are the “Marmite dei Giganti”, literally the “giants' bowls”. These amazing hollows in the rocks, rounded and smoothed over thousands of years by geological processes, moulded by water for centuries, can be admired from the circular route that starts and ends in Franscia, up the Cormor river. Here, hikers will be immersed in an enchanted world of rare pastures, red pine trees, waterfalls and rivers where brown trout splash and swim upstream.

Adrenaline and altitude
The River Mallero and its many tributaries crisscross the whole of Valmalenco, together with a busy network of paths that link a good number of refuges, making this valley particularly popular among fans of canyoning. A session on the River Cormor is a must, down between the green serpentinite rocks hollowed out over the centuries by the rushing water. Those who prefer to pedal and want to enjoy breath-taking views of the entire valley can follow the path that winds at a great height for almost all its length, linking Chiareggio with Campo Moro.

Art and culture
With Piazza Garibaldi at the heart of its nineteenth-century old town centre, Sondrio offers fine cultural and architectural examples such as Palazzo Sertoli with its beautiful frescoed hall and Palazzo Martinengo. Just a few minutes outside the town is the Shrine to the Madonna of Sassella, surrounded by flowers, rocks and vineyards, and Grumello Castle.
 

 

Highlights

1. Soapstone. The Italian name for Soapstone is “Pietra Ollare”, and it comes from the Latin “olla” meaning pot, oil container. Highly resistant to fire and capable of
conserving heat at length, this stone was used here almost exclusively for making containers such as “lavècc”, “stüin” (stewing pans) and “fùràgn” (containers for storing cheese, butter or lard).

2. Cheese. Casera and Scimudin are two typical local cheeses. The animals are free to graze on the thousands of mountain herbs that then enrich their milk with essences
and aromas, in turn used to make unique cheese, protected by the “Consorzio Tutela Valtellina Casera e Bitto” consortium and very popular with gourmet food lovers.

3. The Magic Mountain. The castle inside the rock. Legend has it that right inside the top peak of Pizza Scalino there is a fortress, divided into two parts, where the black armies of the night and the white armies of the day battle it out, a symbol of the eternal fight between dark and light.

4. Cliffs for climbers in Campo Moro. Campo Moro is a vast, interesting area high up in the mountains with walls for climbers of any level and any style. With an average height of about 2000 metres above sea level, this is an extraordinary high altitude environment with the artificial lakes of Campo Moro and Gera.

5. Secular wood. More than a thousand years old and still in fairly good shape. This larch tree, the oldest in Italy and one of the oldest in Europe, is surrounded by other centuries-old trees, together forming a wonderful woodland area in Val Ventina.

Take me here: A holiday in the heart of the Alps: Valmalenco

On the same topic

Hiking: 6 easy routes

Walking in the Lombardy mountains: 6 routes suitable for kids
  • Active & Green
Gemelli e Pizzo Becco

Nature in Lombardy: five landscapes to die for

  • Active & Green
Bellagio (CO) - Villa Melzi d’Eril

A holiday in the heart of the Alps: Valmalenco

Holidays in nature and culture, hiking in the high mountains, right up to the glaciers where the deep silence lets you listen to the voice of the mountains
  • Active & Green
Una vacanza nel cuore delle Alpi: la Valmalenco

Lecco from Monte Resegone

Lecco – a city caught between the water and the mountains – is always looking upwards.
  • Active & Green
Resegone

Resegone and Piani d’Erna

A real mountain holiday. Chilling and fun for the whole family. Piani d'Erna and the most extreme climbs on the vertical rock walls of Manzoni's mountain
  • Active & Green
Il Resegone e i Piani d’Erna

In between the lake and the sky

Episode 2
  • Active & Green
In between the lake and the sky

Discover the province of Varese

5 must-see places to visit in Varese
  • Active & Green
A dirt path crosses a rural landscape at sunset, surrounded by golden fields and green vegetation. To the right, there is a small stone chapel with a cross on its facade, while to the left, large trees can be seen under a cloudy sky illuminated by the warm colors of the sunset. The atmosphere is peaceful and serene, with the contrast between the golden light and the lengthening evening shadows.

Sustainable tourism in lombardy

There is a way of sustainable travel capable of establishing a deep connection with the places that are visited.
  • Active & Green
Sustainable tourism in Lombardy

Cliff climbing in Sondrio and Valmalenco

Climbing aficionados will find many great spots in our area.
  • Active & Green
Arrampicare in Valmlenco

Mountain flowers in May

Six itineraries to discover this month's flowers in the mountains of Lombardy
  • Active & Green
Fiori di maggio ad alta quota - in Lombardia

On foot in Lombardy

8 itineraries to discover Lombardy on foot. From Lake Maggiore to Val Camonica, and from Pavia to the heart of Val Masino.
  • Active & Green
On foot in Lombardy

Trezzo d'Adda what to see

A pleasant day to discover Trezzo sull'Adda: the historic center, the villas, the river and the central Taccani.
  • Active & Green
Trezzo d'Adda, what to see in a day

Gardens Bergamo

An unforgettable journey through the wonders of the Bergamo landscape
  • Active & Green
Gardens Bergamo, the green side of Lombardy

Bergamo Valle di Scalve, nature, peace and quiet

  • Active & Green
Bergamo Valle di Scalve, tra natura e tranquillità

The Soapstone trail

A short loop trail that allows hikers to visit the ancient places where the renown soapstone of Pirlo used to be quarried and worked.
  • Active & Green
The Soapstone trail

Six destinations with surprises

A visit to Lombardy in the autumn means discovering plenty of surprises hidden in the foliage of the woods, lovely castles on the lakes, and city cathedrals, that give you immersive experiences with plenty of mystery and beauty.
  • Active & Green
Six destinations with surprises

Valle Intelvi: 4 excursions in the land between two lakes

The Val d’Intelvi offers visitors some unmissable walking routes that are suitable for everyone to explore on foot or by bike
  • Active & Green
Valle Intelvi

Yoga in Parco Sempione

A green oasis in Milan.
  • Active & Green
Yoga in Parco Sempione

Lake Iseo

Visit Lake Iseo between art and nature.
  • Active & Green
Lake Iseo

The trails of the Oltrepò Pavese

On foot, by bike, or on horseback to discover the Oltrepò Pavese
  • Active & Green
Comunità Montana Oltrepò Pavese