In winter the Larian heights are blanketed by a soft bed of snow, making it the ideal spot for the widest variety of winter sports.

The area of Piani di Bobbio and Valtorta, which is accessible from Barzio with a modern cable car, has something for everyone: from the easiest runs for beginners to the black runs of the Oscellera and Valtorta, from traditional skiing to the sport of telemark and snowboarding.

The area as a whole also includes the Erna and Arvataggio slopes, and five more chair-lifts and three ski lifts that serve a total of 36 Km of runs. For the freestyler, the station has a 1,500 metre large area with a fun box and 5 metre step- up, a mini-bob and mini-quarter.

For cross country lovers at 1,700 metres there is a 7.5 km ring called the Rododendro, approved for national and international competitions. It is a technical route, used by Italian and international champions. Two shorter versions will satisfy the less expert.

Further adventure can be found in the uncontaminated landscape in the form of ski touring and snow shoeing. It is also possible to organise trips on snowmobiles (Pian delle Betulle and Piani di Artavaggio) and practice ice skating (Pian dei Resinelli and Barzio).

The local restaurants serve up polenta taragna, the signature dish of these mountainous areas , where cheese is added to buck wheat polenta during cooking. The cheese of the Valsassina is nationally renowned, and its production is a source of income for the entire valley. The cow's milk produced in the area is used to make the area's most renowned cheese, taleggio. The producers' association stamps each cheese in order to safeguard its genuine origin. The area's local specialities also include sweets, from the crunchy biscuits with almonds known as scapinasc or sassetti from Valsassina, to caviadini, biscuits originally made in Barzio, now available all over the valley.

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Photo IG: @francesca_fmp