Bormio

When one thinks of Bormio, one's mind goes to the ski slopes. In fact, its location, in the heart of the upper Valtellina and in the Stelvio National Park, makes it one of the main ski centers in the Alps. Here you will be able to find 17 slopes, including the famous Stelvio slope, with an elevation gain of as much as 1,800 meters. Sportsmen who don't feel like skiing can take advantage of the splendid Ice Palace, used for figure skating, ice hockey and short track (i.e., a kind of speed-based skating).

But Bormio is also much more. There are so many places in the small town-it has, in fact, just 4,000 inhabitants-that are worth a visit. For example, the Alberti Tower, which dates back to the 13th century and housed Bianca Maria Sforza and Ludovico il Moro; or Palazzo de Simoni, known as the Castle, which houses the civic museum. Points of interest are also Kuerc Square, with the civic tower and the main church.

Churches not to be missed include the Church of Saints Gervasius and Protasius, the Church of San Vitale, the Church of St. Ignatius, and the Church of St. Anthony Abbot, better known as the Church of the Most Holy Crucifix. If you want to discover two more churches around Bormio, walk the Four Churches Walk.

Those who do not feel like skiing or visiting monuments can relax and be pampered at one of three spas: Bagni Nuovi, Bagni Vecchi and Bormio Terme.

And the hikers? They are in luck, because the area around Bormio is full of routes for all tastes and difficulties. If you want to do a half-day hike, for example, there is the trail on the slopes of the Reit, which, among larch and mountain pine forests, allows you to admire the entire Bormio basin from above. It is a loop of about 4 hours, starting and ending at the Combo Bridge.

Shorter (about 2 hours) is the Sentiero Viola, an almost entirely level bike and pedestrian path that leads from Semogo to Bormio, through the scenic viewpoints of the Valdidentro municipality, away from traffic.

Of a similar length, but a bit more out of town, is a trail that retraces an old upgraded mule track along the Scale mountain: this is the so-called Sentiero dei Fortini, which starts at the junction for the Boscopiano locality (along the Stelvio Pass Road) and arrives at the village of Premadio.

Finally, we point out the Val d'Uzza loop trail, which is 7.5 kilometers long. The start and finish are in the town square of Combo, but then the trail unravels through pastures, at the edge of the woods, touching on the Church of the Beata Vergine del Sassello and the Church of the Madonna della Misericordia in Uzza.

During World War I, Stelvio National Park, with its peaks exceeding three thousand meters, was the scene of bloody clashes. As evidence of these tragic events and the extreme conditions in which the soldiers lived, the remains of fortifications, trenches and military villages can still be found on these mountains, accompanying some valuable hiking trails of medium-high difficulty.

Walkers, on the other hand, cannot resist the exciting Bormio 360 Adventure Trail trek (the same route can also be done by mountain bike). This is a high-altitude itinerary that involves a loop tour of 10 stages, winding its way around the city's district. In total, it is 140 km with an elevation gain of about 6,200 meters. What is interesting is that each stage is linked to an environmental, historical or cultural theme. The first stage, for example, starts in Bormio and is dedicated to water in all its forms. In short, a truly 360-degree experience, with all kinds of landscapes and incredible views waiting for you. By the way, the trail is also passable by mountain bike.

Another interesting path that touches Bormio is thestage route around Ortles with ascent to Cevedale. A tour of more than 100 kilometers, with an elevation gain of 7,500 meters, it is a 5-day experience that is as difficult as it is unforgettable. Indeed, South Tyrol's highest mountain provides excitement galore, and the route touches waterfalls, valleys, lakes and refuges, such as the famous Garibaldi Refuge.

Even if you are an avid cyclist, you will find bread for your teeth. From Bormio, in fact, tough, though fairly short, routes start. The first one we recommend is the scenic route to the Mortirolo Pass. A 36-kilometer route, with 1,200 meters of elevation gain, among beautiful alpine pastures, meadows and mountain huts. The second is the stretch from Bormio to Cancano on the trail of the Via Imperiale d'Alemagna, traveled in the Middle Ages by wine merchants. Again, the kilometers are just 14, but with 766 meters of elevation gain. Then there is the route known as the Magnifica Terra (one of Bormio's nicknames), which leads from the town to Bormio 2000, or the starting point of the ski lifts. Just 10 kilometers, with an ascent of 745 meters, to arrive precisely at an altitude of 2,000 mentri.

Finally, we would like to point out to you a tour suitable for mountain biking, namely the Pedemontana della Reit, similar to the itinerary that can be done on foot and that dominates the entire Bormio basin. 15 kilometers, with 365 meters of elevation gain, winding through patches of larch trees, dirt roads and sparse woods; your gaze may sweep over Bormio and the peaks surrounding the basin. The start is at the Pravasivo parking lot in Bormio, while the finish is in Sant'Antonio Valfurva. In between, you'll find streams, rock walls, hairpin bends and mountain huts: in short, everything you could want from a mountain ride!

Mountain bikers, however, have plenty of other routes on which to indulge: in fact, Bormio and the Bormio Bike Park offer hundreds of kilometers of MTB and cross country trails for all levels of difficulty and experience. Some of them start in Bormio and climb at altitude through the main valleys surrounding the town, while others involve riding up the Bormio 2000 and Bormio 3000 lifts. The bike park also includes seven downhill trails and an adrenaline-pumping freeride course from Bormio 3000 to Santa Caterina Valfurva, for 13 km of descents in the heart of the Stelvio National Park.

Also not far from Bormio is another small mountain biker's paradise, the LeMotte Bikepark, consisting of easy downhills. One of the trails passes by Forte Venini Olga, a fortification built during World War I and still well preserved.