The Valtellina valley is an elite destination for active holidays in the northern Lombardy region.
The Valtellina valley borders with Switzerland
The Tour of the Castles, one of Valtellina Turismo's new entries for 2024 is 33-kilometre cycling route that alternates between dirt roads and singletrack through vineyards, apple orchards and chestnut groves. With its two national parks and seven nature reserves, the Valtellina naturally lends itself to active holidays. The destination, which borders with Switzerland, and was recently presented in Rome, offers numerous opportunities for bikers thanks to its many cycle paths, to which are added special itineraries such as the Sentiero Valtellina: from Lake Como to Bormio, 114 kilometres following the course of the river Adda. Or the Valchiavenna cycle path: 40 kilometres from Lake Como to Val Bregaglia, and the Raetica Classica, a ring-route that straddles Switzerland, which can use public transport and/or bicycles.
Valtellina Ph credits: Stefano Cattelan
Wine bike tours and races on Giro d’Italia routes
Also available to cyclists is the Wine Bike Tour as well as the Bormio 360 Adventure Trail, a mountain bike route in ten stages around the Bormio area. Also of note are the area’s five bike parks. In addition to this, there is a full calendar of events, including the Enjoy Stelvio Valtellina: a non-competitive event with no obligation to register, aimed at cyclists and hikers, which in 2023 saw the participation of over 23,000 people. After the stages in which Livigno was the protagonist of the Giro d'Italia, as starting and finishing location, there are also numerous official races in which the Valtellina valley is the protagonist of two-wheeled sport, in all its forms.
Religious routes and summer activities
The area is also ideal for trekking thanks to its religious routes, itineraries linked to the First World War and those on suspension bridges, with over 70 refuges available, including the highest in Lombardy. Families will enjoy the eco-fauna observatory in Aprica and the Malga experience. Created by the Sondrio and Valmalenco district to promote the area's numerous mountain pastures and encourage tourists to discover them during the summer, it also issues a guide showing all the mountain pastures in the valley with brief descriptions and indicating how to reach them.
Food, wine and thermal wellness experiences
Then there are the food and wine experiences along the Valtellina Wine Route, as well as a calendar of food events until October. The wellness offer is also important, with the Qc Terme Bagni Vecchi, Qc Terme Bagni Nuovi and Bormio Terme. There is growing anticipation for the Winter Olympic Games scheduled for 6-22 February 2026, during which the Valtellina will host the men's alpine skiing and men's and women's ski mountaineering (an Olympic discipline for the first time) as well as snowboarding and freestyle competitions.
