A green week in Valtellina

Wide-open spaces, the smell of forests, breath-taking views, natural food, refreshing waterfalls and stunning peaks.

We are in Valtellina, a lush green valley at the heart of the Lombardy Alps. Easily accessible from major cities, the valley spans 120 km, from Lake Como to Passo Aprica: a location so inviting and boasting such diverse beauty, it is perfect for laid back exploring, even during warmer periods. Ideal for unwinding and living the good life for a weekend getaway or a more drawn-out touring holiday.

A trekking, wellness and skiing paradise (with the skiing regions of Livigno and Bormio), Valtellina gets more days of sunshine than Pantelleria, while a good half of the area is a natural park or nature reserve. Such figures would suffice to elevate it to the status of much better known and more visited mountain resorts, which it is on par with both in terms of its landscape and its hospitality.

Revealed to be a key feature of the 2026 Winter Olympics, in an effort to ensure the region's infrastructure avoids having an overly negative environmental impact, this micro-region of Lombardy has also recently helped boost mountain eco-tourism development, breathing life into a genuine green Renaissance in the area.

Things to see in Valtellina
If you want to find out about the must-see places for a green getaway in Valtellina, follow our itinerary. Adrenaline-filled adventures await with suspended bridges, lush green cycle and walking trails, fairy-tale trains through the heart of the Alps, and medieval towers against a backdrop of azure skies.

1. Cycling the Valtellina Trail — We’re starting with the Valtellina Trail, a 114-kilometre cycle and walking path starting at Lake Como, following the Adda river across the valley floor and ending in Bormio. A full-blown family-friendly greenway featuring moderate gradients and well-signed cycle routes in both directions, making it easy to navigate on two wheels.

Read more

2. Bernina Express — For the second leg of our Alpine tour, we’re climbing aboard the Bernina Express: a spectacular adventure to experience at least once in your life, whether for one day or for an entire weekend. Considered one of the most beautiful railway lines in the world, the Bernina Express was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 2018: a scenic ride that guarantees all-round panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, even more captivating in summer with open-air carriages overlooking the dramatic landscape of the Alps.

Read more

3. Highest Tibetan Bridge in Europe — No trip to the Valtellina wilderness can be complete without experiencing the heart-pounding Ponte del Cielo, or Sky Bridge: a high-altitude Tibetan bridge 140 metres high that broke the European record for highest bridge in Europe (of those without stabilising side cables). This daring project launched in 2016 was the brainchild of a group of mountaineers. Modelled on previous Austrian and Swiss builds, it was carried out by the Consorzio Pustarèsc with substantial manual and economic efforts as well as the firm resolve that this huge undertaking would ensure the Valtellina alpine valley would not be left to fend for itself.

Read more

4. Fraele Towers — The Torri di Fraele, or Fraele Towers, share their name with the mountain pass in which they are found (also known as the Passo delle Scale, or the Stairway Passage). Standing 1,930 metres above sea level, they can be seen from the road that goes from Bormio to Livigno. Dating back to the end of the 14th century, these two four-sided towers were built in 1391 at the height of the Viscount epoch and would have been part of a much larger fortress, since destroyed. Their dual purpose was to defend the Bormio territory from attacks from the north and to exercise control extending from Livigno to the Val Viola.

Read more

Lombardy on the road..

Lombardy: wonderful views to see on the road.

Active & Green

Adrenaline 9 thrilling experiences in Lombardy

Active & Green

It's harvest time in Lombardy

In the vineyards and cellars of Lombardy, you can take part in the ancient rituals of grape harvesting and pressing and get to know the land where some of the region's best wines are produced

Active & Green

Livignese Park

Park of considerable environmental interest, for the naturalness of the typically alpine landscape and for the richness of the fauna patrimony.

Active & Green

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

Foliage in Lombardy

From Via Francigena to the Cadorna Line. Discover where to see the autumn colours in Lombardy

Active & Green

Where to Go Fishing in Lombardy

Carps, chars, trout. River and lake fish. Some advice on where to go fishing in Lombardy. From Pavia to Como

Active & Green

Gardens Milan

Spring is the best time of year to enjoy a green Milan with unexpected views

Active & Green

4 locations to visit in winter

Winter is not just about sports you can do in the snow, it is also the time when nature reveals its fairytale heart.

Active & Green

Art and Nature for a Digital Detox

November in Lombardy invites you to slow down, regenerate and discover offline experiences, with art, nature and picturesque villages.

Active & Green

Ten Snowshoeing Treks in Lombardy

Choose a route through the woods or try out a panoramic trail on your snowshoeing trek!

Active & Green

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

Le bine

You want to see the Lataste frog, one of the rarest amphibians in Europe, then come to the Le Bine nature reserve.

Active & Green

Discovering the Big Benches in the province of Pavia

How to reconnect with childhood by rediscovering the landscape with the Big Benches!

Active & Green

Ice Skating

Ice skating enthusiasts will find three tracks in the area around Sondrio and in Valmalenco

Active & Green

Mountain flowers in May

Six itineraries to discover this month's flowers in the mountains of Lombardy

Active & Green

Motorcycle touring in Lombardy

Motorcycle routes, getting to know Lombardy with the thrill of two wheels

Active & Green

Noci park

The Parco delle Noci, located in Melegnano, is one of the first Urban Oasis built in Italy.

Active & Green

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

The ReGiS: Network of Historic Gardens.

A Network for the enhancement and proper management of historic gardens and parks open to the public in Lombardy

Active & Green