• Active & Green
    • Mountains

Thousand-Year Larch Trail

The oldest tree in Lombardy can be discovered with an unusual hike among the breathtaking views of Valmalenco

Automatically translated

In Val Ventina, a side valley of the better-known Valmalenco, here is a small area on the edge of vegetation that features a group of really really old trees.

 

Pines, but mostly larches, with several specimens more than five hundred years old. In this area of the Valmalenco, in the province of Sondrio, thanks to appropriate scientific investigations it has been possible to determine that this group of high altitude plants seems to be among the most venerable plants still in vegetation in the Italian Alps, certainly in the Lombardy Alps.

One larch, in particular, as a result of precise counting of growth rings, demonstrated the incredible age of more than a thousand years, since its first ring dates back to 1007. It would thus lead the Alpine ranking of the oldest still-living plants, accompanied by a large group of younger but still centuries-old siblings.

Some very old specimens are no longer viable, but are nevertheless still present in situ as fallen stems on the ground, but this particular larch has traversed the centuries, carrying with it the signs and the tale of a long and fascinating history, still being studied and investigated by researchers at the Universities of Padua, Pavia and Turin.

It is not difficult, in fine weather, to get to and visit the area where these giants, born as tender shoots in the days of castles and crusades, grow. You will thus be able to admire the "grand old man" and his "brothers," thanks also to a dedicated path: the Millennial Larch Trail.

From Sondrio, which is now quickly accessible thanks to the new road connections, you have to go up the famous Valmalenco to Chiareggio, elevation 1,612 m, the last hamlet of the municipality of Chiesa in Valmalenco where you must leave your car. After about an hour's walk on a comfortable mule track, only at the end a little bumpy, you reach the Gerli-Poggio Refuge in Val Ventina, altitude 1,965 m, facing the magical spectacle of the peaks of Mount Disgrazia.

From here, your best bet is to ask the owner of the hut for directions, so that you take precisely the Thousand-Year Larch Trail, which will soon lead you near this legendary plant, at an elevation of more than 2,100 meters. The foregone warning is to respect this patriarch, which has weathered the ravages of climate for a thousand years. A nice photo will be the only memory we should keep of this hike!

Nearby, in addition to the aforementioned Gerli-Poggio Refuge, there is another where we can refresh ourselves: the Ventina Refuge, named after the valley itself.

The grandiose landscapes and, in addition to the centuries-old and millennia-old trees, also a great variety of flowers, rocks, minerals, crystal clear lakes and the crown of high peaks will have made this, at the end of the day, an absolutely memorable hike !

-

Photo: UNITO.IT
Take me here: Thousand-Year Larch Trail

On the same topic

Motorcycle touring in Lombardy

Motorcycle routes, getting to know Lombardy with the thrill of two wheels
  • Active & Green
Motorcycle touring in Lombardy

Where to do Horseback Riding in Lombardy

  • Active & Green
Where to do horseback riding in Lombardy, route suggestions

Concarena, Gavia and Mortirolo: adventures on foot and by bike

The wildest side of Valle Camonica: from gorges for experts to the uphill hairpin bends that have written the history of the Giro d’Italia
  • Active & Green
Concarena, Gavia e Mortirolo: avventure a piedi e in bici

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.

Brabbia Marsh

Brabbia Nature Reserve: the most important wetland in Lombardy.
  • Active & Green
Palude Brabbia: a protected area

6 slopes for the last skiing of the season

Bormio, Colere, Adamello Ski, Livigno, Madesimo and Santa Caterina Valfurva, ideal destinations for a ski-in, ski-out Easter
  • Active & Green
6 slopes for the last skiing of the season

A green week in Valtellina

Escape to the mountains just a two-hour drive from Milan for a rural retreat with trekking, typical pizzoccheri pasta and towns that are absolute hidden gems
  • Active & Green
A green week in Valtellina

Valtellina Nascosta: second installment

Valtellina continues to surprise with its hidden corners and wonders.
  • Active & Green
Valtellina Nascosta: second installment

Freeride Valmalenco

Off-piste skiing for free spirits!
  • Active & Green
Discesa dal Pizzo Bernina

The High Route of Valmalenco – 7th stage

Rif Bignami (2382 m) - A Gembrè (2190 m) - A Val Poschiavina (2230 m) - Passa Canciano (2464 m) - Passo Campagneda (2601 m) - Rif. Cristina (2227 m)
  • Active & Green
Diga di Alpe Gera

Alpe Meriggio, Alpe Campo Cervé and Casera Lake - Around Alpine Pastures

Albosaggia
  • Active & Green
Alpe Meriggio, Alpe Campo Cervé and Casera Lake - Around Alpine Pastures

The project "Beega"

Cremona’s Bycicle Touring
  • Active & Green
The project

Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics

An event that looks to the future, sustainability and inclusion, immersed in the charm of the Lombard landscape and tradition.
  • Active & Green
Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics

Kitesurf in Lombardy

Where to do kitesurfing in Lombardy
  • Active & Green
Windsurf, Como lake

Oasis of San Giuliano Milanese

Urban oasis of San Giuliano Milanese: the demonstration of the green that wins in the middle of the cement.
  • Active & Green
Oasis of San Giuliano Milanese

Snowshoeing in Valmalenco

Alpe Oro - Alpe Entova - Alpe Palù - Alpe Musella - Alpe Prabello - Lago di Chiesa
  • Active & Green
Ciaspolare presso l'Alpe Campagneda

Four Panoramic Walks by Lake Como

  • Active & Green
Triangolo lariano

Lombardy: spring has come to town

Spring flowers bloom on the balconies, terraces, window sills and in the gardens of Lombardy's towns and villages 
  • Active & Green
Lombardia: la primavera arriva in città

Lake Iseo

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

Brescia Nature, taste and traditions: Val Sabbia

From multiple-day treks with night-breaks at mountain huts, to shorter walks open to all: a charming valley for all tastes set against the background of the little lake Idro
  • Active & Green
Brescia Nature, taste and traditions: Val Sabbia