• Active & Green
    • Mountains

A green week in Valtellina

from IN-LOMBARDIA.IT

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

On the same topic

Show all

Discovering Lombardy with Va' Sentiero along the Italy Trail

Admiring the view from Pizzo Scalino, Valtellina, Lombardy
  • Active & Green

Montorfano oasis

Here is a forest reborn thanks to WWF: the Oasis of Montorfano, in the Municipality of Melegnano.
Montorfano Oasis
  • Active & Green

Picnics in Lombardy

8 easy picnic places in Lombardy: On the beaches of our lakes, in the cool of the woods, or in the company of dinosaurs!
panorama sondrio
  • Active & Green

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
Il Resegone e i Piani d’Erna
  • Active & Green

The project "Beega"

Cremona’s Bycicle Touring
  • Active & Green

Parco delle Orobie della Valtellina

A nature park just waiting to be discovered on long hikes or on the saddle of a mountain bike
Il parco delle Orobie
  • Active & Green

Bergamo three small natural jewels: Val Vertova, Val Sedornia and Val Sanguigno

Off the beaten tourist track, but close to the Valle Seriana, there are three small valleys, just waiting to be discovered, either on foot or mountain bike
Bergamo tre piccoli gioielli naturali: Val Vertova, Val Sedornia e Val Sanguigno
  • Active & Green

SHADES OF FALL - WINE BIKE TOUR

  • Active & Green

Gardens Monza

Relax and nature among the rose gardens in Villa Reale of Monza and in the parks of the province.
Mete verdi lombardia
  • Active & Green

Valsassina and the Grigne

From one-day trips that anyone can enjoy, to climbing on the vertical walls of the Grigne, through to splendid hikes leading up to the mountain refuges
Valsassina and the Grigne
  • Active & Green

Gardens Sondrio

In the green heart of Lombardy, in parks and gardens a path among thousands of species of plants
Gardens Sondrio, the alluring face of Lombardy
  • Active & Green

Gardens Bergamo

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

Bergamo Valle Seriana and the Presolana

The Valle Seriana Mountains are a wonderful tourist destination, perfect for discovering on foot, mountain bike or with fun off-road quad rides.
Bergamo La Valle Seriana e la Presolana
  • Active & Green

Pump Track

The Pump Track is a track consisting of small jumps, bumps and parabolic curves, designed to be ridden without ever pedaling!
  • Active & Green

Birdwatching in Lombardy

Parks, nature reserves and oases where you can take a glimpse into the secret lives of birds
Birdwatching in Lombardy
  • Active & Green

Spring in Lombardy

Spring has arrived ... all to discover the beauties of Lombardy!
Spring in Lombardy: where to go and what to do
  • Active & Green

Autodromo di monza

Monza and Formula 1 are two excellences of Motorsport.
Autodromo Nazionale Monza
  • Active & Green

The high route of Valmalenco - presentation

The high route of Valmalenco is a trekking of 8 stage, around 110 km.
  • Active & Green

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
Concarena, Gavia e Mortirolo: avventure a piedi e in bici
  • Active & Green

Routes for Walkers of All Levels

Besides many shelters of Valmalenco, easily attainable from families and who approaches to the world of hiking for the first time, we signal some simple itineraries suitable for all. 
  • Active & Green