Tipologia Percorso: Luoghi Nascosti

Routes

Valmalenco
Luoghi Nascosti

A land of nature and legends to be protected

Awaken your sense
Hear

Let yourself be conquered by the tales of the legends of this valley.

Sight

Follow animal tracks in the fresh snow.

Touch

Shake hands with the elderly – witnesses to the stories of the mountains.

Smell

Smell the damp rock that, as soon as a warm ray of winter sun hits it, creates an imperceptible cloud of steam.

Taste

Let yourself be conquered by the unique and unrepeatable flavour of Bresaola della Valtellina PGI, which preserves the breath of the mountains and the wisdom of generations of taste artisans.

The perfect spot for a delicious break

Zenith Centro della Montagna, Caspoggio

Via Ezio Vanoni 38 – 23020 Caspoggio (SO)
T 39 344 1418115
E info@centrodellamontagna.com
W www.centrodellamontagna.com
IG @zenithcentrodellamontagna

In the heart of the western Rhaetian Alps, with the mighty 4049-metre Pizzo Bernina dominating the snow-covered landscape, Valmalenco opens up behind Sondrio. The ski area, where one can choose between downhill skiing, Nordic skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing, is reached by the Snoweagle, Europe’s largest cable car. However, modernity has not overwhelmed nature, quite the opposite.

The Valmalenco is a valley where wildlife still lives free and undisturbed and, in winter, it is possible to observe deer, chamois and even golden eagles as they flies over and survey the whitewashed peaks. In symbiosis with nature, in the small villages that animate the Valmalenco, live men and women who guard a heritage of tales and legends that have been passed down through the ages. Ask a Malenco to tell them to you. He will tell you about when the shadows grow long and suddenly take on the shape of knights of the night, or a mountain torrent that rushes down a ravine, roaring and raging like a dragon. It will not easy to understand why people in the past were afraid of them.

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Routes

Livigno
Luoghi Nascosti

The MUS, a museum to remember the ancient life in this valley

Awaken your sense
Hear

Listen to the sound of the wind blowing through the mountains, accompanying the clear days and the cloudier ones.

Sight

Let yourself be enchanted by the beauty of the bright, white snow.

Touch

Caress the wooden surfaces of the old kitchen and the rough blankets spread out on the beds in the museum house where the couple Enrico Silvestri and Domenica Bormolini lived, before their house became the MUS in 1987.

Smell

Smell the scent of winter, which here takes on the notes of snow, of nature, of wood burning in the shelters, of shared food enjoyed by the locals in a spirit of conviviality.

Taste

Let yourself be conquered by the unique and unrepeatable flavour of Bresaola della Valtellina PGI, which preserves the breath of the mountains and the wisdom of generations of taste artisans.

The perfect spot for a delicious break

Bar Compagnoni, Livigno

Plaza dal comun 3 – 23041 Livigno (SO)
T 0342 996100
E info@hotelcompagnoni.com
W www.hotelcompagnoni.com
IG @hotelcompagnoni1

The Livigno valley is marvelously nestled between the Rhaetian Alps and visiting it in winter allows one to enjoy the magic of these snowy landscapes. Its particular exposure to the sun on both sides, its altitude of 1816 meters and 115 km of slopes have made it one of the world’s best-known ski areas which is why it will host the freestyle and snowboarding competitions at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

Is also worth visiting Livigno in winter to discover the charm of its timeless village. The testimonies of rural construction and the MUS (Museum of Livigno and Trepalle) tell us the history of this village. Visiting the MUS allows you to cross the threshold of an ancient masonry and wooden dwelling dating back to the end of the 18th century. The atrium, the cellars, the wood-panelled rooms, the hearth, the milk-processing room help us remember the rural life that the inhabitants of this valley lived, well before the arrival of tourism.

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Routes

Bormio
Luoghi Nascosti

The Folklore of the Magnifica Terra and the thaumaturgic Holy Crucifix

Awaken your sense
Hear

Enjoy the silence and peace of Combo, which remains intact despite the famous and lively ski area of ​​Bormio being just a few metres away.

Sight

Free your gaze between the valleys and snow-capped peaks that surround the Bormio plain, dominated by the imposing Reit.

Touch

Touch with your fingertips the imposing wooden door beyond which the miraculous crucifix awaits its pilgrims.

Smell

Discover the scent of Alpine herbs that spreads along Via Roma, the historic home of the renowned Amaro Alpino.

Taste

Let yourself be conquered by the unique and unrepeatable flavour of Bresaola della Valtellina PGI, which preserves the breath of the mountains and the wisdom of generations of taste artisans.

The perfect spot for a delicious break

Bistrot Bormio Terme, Bormio

Via Stelvio, 14 – 23032 Bormio (SO)
T 39 0342 901325
E info@bormioterme.it
W www.bormioterme.it
IG @bormioterme

Bormio, in the heart of the Alta Valtellina, is known as La Magnifica Terra (the Magnificent Land) for the thousand-year history that has shaped its territory and culture. In winter, the passion for skiing finds its place here, and it is no coincidence that the Stelvio slope has been called the ‘Teatro alla Scala of winter sports’. Folklore in Bormio is a serious matter and, precisely during this time of year, it is easy to come across ancient revivals, folk traditions and processions that pass through the ‘contrade’ (districts).

In one of these ancient districts, that of Combo, a wooden crucifix of legendary origins is kept, to which miraculous powers are attributed. We are talking about the Holy Crucifix in the church of St Anthony Abbot. Legend has it that an inhabitant of Valfurva escaped a thunderbolt that struck the tree under which he had sought shelter. On the trunk broken by the thunderbolt, the shepherd recognized the figure of Christ, so, for the grace received, he carved the crucifix into it.

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Routes

Novate Mezzola
Luoghi Nascosti

The small temple of San Fedelino, a jewel on the banks of the lake

Awaken your sense
Sight

Get close to the fresco and try to reconstruct with your imagination the missing pictorial parts. Imagine what this place was like for the faithful who baptized their children here in the Middle Ages, and how it has changed over the years until the arrival of pilgrims, who like you seek history, sacredness, and beauty here.

Hear

Can you hear the silence of the lake? His placidity is not indifference, it is listening.

Touch

Lie down on the grassy mantle surrounding the temple and feel the passage of the clouds above you, whose play of shadow and light gives and takes warmth. The peace of the slow flow of the Mera envelops you.

Taste

Let yourself be conquered by the unique and unrepeatable flavour of Bresaola della Valtellina PGI, which preserves the breath of the mountains and the wisdom of generations of taste artisans.

The perfect spot for a delicious break

Kiosk Kwatras, Verceia

Via degli Emigranti 91, 23020 – Verceia (SO)
T 347 894 1086
F kiosk.kwatras
IG @kiosk_kwatras

For over a thousand years, this small Romanesque temple has shown itself to the gaze of those who reach it with the solemn modesty of true wise men. The waters of the Mera River have flooded it several times, but its resilience has allowed it to resist barbarian invasions, wars, and the outrages of those who transformed it first into a fort, then into a shelter for animals, and finally into a kitchen for the stonemasons of the nearby granite quarry. The rocks have taught it to resist, and the water to be patient.

You can reach the temple by the lake or with a walk through the woods, but like all truly precious treasures, you must know how to seek it out. Inside, there are few traces left of the vibrant colours that adorned it, but the fresco of a Christ Pantocrator and the open book held in his left hand are still visible, upon which you can read …ET VITA, the concluding words of the evangelical phrase EGO SUM VIA VERITAS ET VITA.

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Routes

Pian di Spagna and Lake Mezzola Nature Reserve
Luoghi Nascosti

A cradle for biodiversity in Valtellina

Awaken your sense
Smell

Catch the smells of the vegetation, the damp earth, and the hay being dried to provide nourishment to the animals in winter. Close your eyes and feel the breath of the mild Breva, which rises from Lake Como and meets the fresh air that descends from the Alps.

Hear

Listen to the lively chatter of birds. Who knows what they say to each other with their singing, perhaps it is a love call, perhaps an argument, perhaps the story of an exploit that took place who knows where, on one of the many journeys beyond our seas.

Sight

Sharpen your gaze; there are ducks, cormorants, and swans right here around you. There is also the kingfisher, the heron, the chaffinch, the blackcap. Do you recognize them? Are you looking for them or did they find you?

Taste

Let yourself be conquered by the unique and unrepeatable flavour of Bresaola della Valtellina PGI, which preserves the breath of the mountains and the wisdom of generations of taste artisans.

The perfect spot for a delicious break

Kiosk Kwatras, Verceia

Via degli Emigranti 91, 23020 – Verceia (SO)
T 347 894 1086
F kiosk.kwatras
IG @kiosk_kwatras

The perfect spot for a delicious break

Menaggio & Cadenabbia Golf Club, Menaggio

Via Wyatt, 54 – Frazione Croce, 22017 Menaggio (CO)
T +39 0344.32103
E segreteria@menaggio.org
W www.golfclubmenaggio.com
IG @menaggiogolfclub

In the northernmost part of Lombardia, in a small plain nestled among reed beds, woods, and grazing lands, lies a heritage to be protected: a unique ecosystem inhabited by a rich variety of flora and fauna, and by over 200 species of birds, both migratory and resident, who find shelter here due to the travellers.

In this oasis suitable for resting and nesting, feathered travellers gather and feed under the admiring gaze of ornithologists and birdwatching enthusiasts. The reserve, thanks to its natural characteristics, represents a heritage of beauty capable of enchanting with its lakes, rivers, peaks and cultivated fields.

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Routes

Valgerola
Luoghi Nascosti

The House of Homo Selvadego, the legend passed through here

Awaken your sense
Hear

Make no noise, listen to the distant whisper of the wild man: “Ego sonto un homo selvadego per natura, chi me offende ge fo pagura” (I am a wild man by nature, whoever offends me will be scared).

Sight

You are in the Camera Picta, next to the entrance door, in the house of Homo Selvadego. Admire one of the most beautiful and well-maintained representations of this mysterious figure. You are suspended between nature and legend, an eyewitness to the memory of an almost forgotten past.

Taste

Let yourself be conquered by the unique and unrepeatable flavour of Bresaola della Valtellina PGI, which preserves the breath of the mountains and the wisdom of generations of taste artisans.

The perfect spot for a delicious break

Eden il Ristorante della Pizza, Cosio Valtellino, Fraz. Regoledo

Via Bernasconi, 60 – 23013 Cosio Valtellino
T +39 0342 635769
E info@ristorantepizzeriaeden.com
W ristorantepizzeriaeden.com
FB /Edenmorbegno
IG @edenilristorantedellapizza

There is a mythological figure that roams the Alps, covered in fur but with human features. Sometimes depicted wearing only leaves or animal skins, it is the archetype of the man who lives in symbiosis with nature, knowing its secrets and living in respect of it.

It’s the Homo Selvadego, who never separates from his gnarled stick, useful for self-defence or procuring food. He finds shelter in caves, is a shepherd, lives among the woods, knows how to forge metals, produce cheeses, and holds the knowledge of medicinal herbs. When he approaches humans to share his knowledge, he is rejected, humiliated, and ridiculed. Deep fears have been projected onto him, but also the sacred aura of an almost divine entity, as we have always done with what we didn’t know whether to fear or idolize. In Valgerola, in the village of Sacco, you can visit the House of the Homo Selvadego, where a fresco of this legendary character is well preserved.

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Routes

Caiolo
Luoghi Nascosti

The hidden face of Valtellina

Awaken your sense
Hear

Walk along the arcade and listen to the rushing waters of the Livrio stream, contrasting with the peaceful silence of the place of worship. Do you hear a hissing sound from the sky? It is the gentle gliding of the gliders that fly towards the small heliport of Caiolo riding the air currents that caress the slopes.

Sight

From this unusual perspective, you can admire the beauty of the terraced vineyard area of Sassella on the opposite side, a glimpse of the 2,500 km of artfully built dry stone walls that cross the Valtellina, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Touch

Touch the walls with your hands to evoke the work and artistic dynamism of those who built it, caress the leaves of the chestnut trees in whose curls the precious autumn fruits are slowly sprouting.

Taste

Let yourself be conquered by the unique and unrepeatable flavour of Bresaola della Valtellina PGI, which preserves the breath of the mountains and the wisdom of generations of taste artisans.

The perfect spot for a delicious break

Valtellina Golf and Country Club, Caiolo

Via Valeriana 29/A, Sondrio, Italy
T +39 0342 354009
E info@valtellinagolfclub.it
W www.valtellinagolf.com
FB golfvaltellina
IG @valtellinagolfandcountryclub

The Orobic Alps hide a gem nestled in the woods, seeking it out will be an opportunity to discover the hidden face of these mountains. Due to its characteristic formation, in fact, the Orobic side of the Valtellina remains excluded from the favour of the sun for many months of the year; therefore, you won’t find the cultivated fields that elsewhere the valley has shown you.

Nature here is a triumph of dense woods and patches of intense green on which the Church of San Vittore rises from a rocky promontory overlooking the Livrio stream. Don’t be intimidated; you can reach and visit it by following a comfortable mule track. Remember that appearances are often deceiving: although it may appear unadorned on the outside, this church preserves stuccos, paintings, and altars that will surprise you.

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Routes

Sondrio
Luoghi Nascosti

A city to admire slowly

Awaken your sense
Hear

Imagine the noise produced by the wheels of the carts along the pavement, the creaking of the doors, the shouting of the people at the market and the women at the wash house.

Sight

Observe the buildings and their architectural continuity like a long cord that unites the entire urban layout.

Touch

Rest your hand on the perimeter walls and feel the roughness of the stone and the smoothness of the plaster.

Smell

Inhale the scents in the air that come from the kitchens of taverns and restaurants that seduce passersby with the flavours of a region full of surprises.

Taste

Let yourself be conquered by the unique and unrepeatable flavour of Bresaola della Valtellina PGI, which preserves the breath of the mountains and the wisdom of generations of taste artisans.

The perfect spot for a delicious break

cafè Felix, Sondrio

Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, 19 23100 – Sondrio
T +39 0342 200397
E info@grandhoteldellaposta.eu
W grandhoteldellaposta.eu
FB /grandhoteldellaposta

Sondrio is the capital where the life of the citizens of this province is administered. Yet, despite being home to banks, offices, and schools, it has an ancient soul that must be rediscovered calmly. Walk along the Via dei Palazzi to discover a village where daily life still takes place at a leisurely pace, and wooden doors open onto spacious courtyards. Admire the ancient noble houses with their baroque portals, vaulted entrances, and wrought iron balconies.

Take a detour and reach the district of Fracaiolo, where once upon a time women gathered at the wash house. Imagine being able to listen to their conversations and what it must have been like, in the city squares, the comings and goings of commerce, and the chatter of people at the market, when social media didn’t exist, and meetings meant stepping out onto the streets.

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Routes

Valmalenco
Luoghi Nascosti

La Miniera Museo della Bagnada

Awaken your sense
Hear

The mine becomes a sounding board and you can hear the sounds echoing between the rock walls. If a concert is scheduled, get involved in the music inside the Camerone.

Sight

Look at the whitest rock walls of the mine reflecting the artificial light, illuminating the environment as if a thousand lights were shining in a dark night.

Touch

Feel the cold, hard metal of the equipment used by the miners. Trolleys, drilling machines, objects of toil and fear, which produced calluses on hands and strong arms.

Taste

Let yourself be conquered by the unique and unrepeatable flavour of Bresaola della Valtellina PGI, which preserves the breath of the mountains and the wisdom of generations of taste artisans.

The perfect spot for a delicious break

Zenith Centro della Montagna, Caspoggio

Via Ezio Vanoni, 38 23020 – Caspoggio (SO)
T +39 344 1418115
E info@centrodellamontagna.com
W centrodellamontagna.com
FB /centrodellamontagna
IG @zenithcentrodellamontagna

If you close your eyes and think of a mine, what do you see? Dust, soot, pitch black walls. Now open them and get ready for a surprising journey into the “white heart” of the Alps. You are in the Bagnada Mine, a museum in the depths of the earth where white talc was extracted until forty years ago.

Leaving behind the lush green forests, you are about to be enveloped by the whiteness of vast, pale, and silent galleries No, wait a moment, you hear something, a musical echo resonates from the depths. It comes from Camerone, the acoustics are so perfect that a concert could be taking place. It is surprising how hostile nature can become, over time, a place of culture and emotions.

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Routes

Montagna in Valtellina
Luoghi Nascosti

Mancapane Castle hidden by the woods

Awaken your sense
Hear

Listen to the rustle of your steps in the vegetation, the leaves seem to whisper immortal secrets.

Sight

Observe the green forest and the fascinating play of light between the branches. Can you spot, a little further down, Castel Grumello hiding among the branches?

Touch

Relax and let your senses free to explore this hospitable and peaceful place. Enjoy the coolness of the forest, before reaching Castel Grumello and feeling the heat of the sun warming the rocks.

Taste

Let yourself be conquered by the unique and unrepeatable flavour of Bresaola della Valtellina PGI, which preserves the breath of the mountains and the wisdom of generations of taste artisans.

The perfect spot for a delicious break

Ristoro Castel Grumello, Montagna in Valtellina

Via Sant’ Antonio, 645 – 23020 Montagna in Valtellina (SO)
T +39 0342 380994
E ristorogrumello@alice.it
W www.ristorogrumello.com
FB/ristorogrumello
IG @ristorocastelgrumello

The perfect spot for a delicious break

Le Rocce market, Poggiridenti

Via Stazione 1
23020 Poggiridenti (SO)
T +39 0342 210328
E lerocce@mottolini.it
W www.leroccemarket.it
F leroccemarket
IG @ leroccemarket

The unmissable walk along the Terraced Path, in close contact with nature, will take you to visit the Mancapane Castle, or what time has left of it.

Completely immersed in vegetation, this 21-meters high Tower once dominated from above to protect people, animals, and the nearby Grumello castle from enemy attacks, which owes its name to the rocky ridge (grumo/lump) on which it was built. Today, the Mancapane Castle is little more than a ruin, but it retains all the charm of decadence. The trail that allows you to reach it is in itself an experience to live. Along the way you will come across a small group of farmhouses and a mill; finally, crossing a suggestive deciduous forest and a wooden bridge on foot, you will reach the Castle.

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Routes

Teglio
Luoghi Nascosti

The Christ Pantocrator in the Church of San Pietro

Awaken your sense
Hear

Sitting in the churchyard of San Pietro, listen to the melody of the bells of the nearby parish church of Santa Eufemia.

Sight

Observe the colours, the symbols of the evangelists and the figures of the apostles, frescoes that time has damaged, but which can still be deciphered and appreciated.

Smell

Smell the scent of the past, embedded in the stone; time is preserved in these hidden places.

Taste

Let yourself be conquered by the unique and unrepeatable flavour of Bresaola della Valtellina PGI, which preserves the breath of the mountains and the wisdom of generations of taste artisans.

The perfect spot for a delicious break

Gran Bar, Teglio

Largo Eugenio Morelli, 6, 23036 Teglio SO
T 0342 782166
F granbarpasticceria

Names not only guide us but also remind us of where we come from. Indeed, it is in Teglio that the Valtellina takes its name, which according to scholars derives from the Latin “Vallis Tellina,” precisely the Valley of Teglio. Now, approach the church of San Pietro, in the center of the village, to discover a treasure found in the late eighties.

For four centuries, the figure of the Christ Pantocrator remained hidden here, under layers of plaster and lime. This fresco dominated the apse basin from the late fourteenth century until, in 1537, it was covered by the Protestants for religious reasons. Imagine now what the restorers must have felt as, one gesture after another, they uncovered the face of the ruddy Christ. From a celestial background, there appears seated on a rainbow the Christ of Judgment Day, with flushed cheeks, almond-shaped eyes, and a slightly parted mouth that seemed to whisper: “I’ve been waiting for you for centuries.”

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Routes

Triano
Luoghi Nascosti

The ancient smuggling paths

Awaken your sense
Hear

Imagine still hearing the voices and coded signals of the smugglers, the chases and calls of the guards, the rustle of the slow steps of those hiding and the clamour of the pursuits.

Sight

From here you can observe the vineyards of the valley floor from a new perspective and wait for the passage of the little red train, a UNESCO heritage site, which takes tourists up to over two thousand meters of the Bernina pass.

Touch

When the path narrows, caress the rock of the Sasso del Gallo, which marks the border with Switzerland.

Taste

Let yourself be conquered by the unique and unrepeatable flavour of Bresaola della Valtellina PGI, which preserves the breath of the mountains and the wisdom of generations of taste artisans.

The perfect spot for a delicious break

Caffè Merizzi, Tirano

Viale Italia, 65 – 23037
T +39 0342 705837
E info@merizzi.it
W merizzi.it
FB merizzitirano
IG @merizzitirano

The history of Italy is also a history of wars, hunger and survival. Along these paths, many people from Tirano, over the centuries, have been smugglers of goods useful for subsistence. This clandestine activity with neighbouring Switzerland remained active until well past the mid-twentieth century, allowing the local population to integrate the meager peasant resources.

But every respectable story has two sides, in this case perfectly interpreted by the cops and the robbers. A plaque in the locality of Cancelletti reads: “The intensification of smuggling in the 1960s brought financiers from every corner of the peninsula to these places (…) Often, the support of the loved ones was the driving force behind these mountain journeys, even though on opposite sides, both financiers and smugglers, in a historical period that will remain in the memory of these places forever.” Even amid the drama of the events, we can read the happy ending in the friendships, in the love stories and in the new families born from the meeting of young people destined to fight each other.

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