Valgerola

Family-friendly

Getting here

To reach Valgerola from Milan, the journey is about 130 km; once you arrive at the entrance to Morbegno via the SS 38 dello Stelvio, simply turn right towards Valgerola—and you’re there. At the beginning of the 1900s, this road was built to connect all the villages of Valgerola. In just 10 minutes you reach the first village of the valley, Sacco; then you come across Rasura, Pedesina, and finally Gerola Alta (1,050 m), located 14.5 km from Morbegno. Continuing further, you’ll reach Fenile and Pescegallo, two hamlets of Gerola known for tourism and various activities.

If you are coming from Switzerland, you can choose the Spluga Pass, Maloja Pass, Bernina, or Gallo Pass; from Austria, you’ll need to cross the Stelvio Pass. If traveling by train, the nearest station is Morbegno, from where a local bus will take you to your destination.

Valgerola is located in the westernmost part of the Orobie Alps, the first Alpine chain you encounter when heading north from the Po Valley. It began to take shape some 20 million years ago, sculpted by glaciers and waterways that carved its slopes.

Valgerola features deep valleys and hosts different habitats created by the variety of climatic conditions resulting from its wide range of altitudes. This rich plant diversity brings with it an extraordinary variety of wildlife. To protect the biodiversity of these areas, the Orobie Regional Park was established in 1989, spanning the provinces of Bergamo, Brescia, Lecco, and Sondrio. The symbol of the Orobie Valtellinesi Park is the capercaillie.

Val Gerola lies on the northern slope and offers a diverse natural environment. Starting from the valley floor, the vegetation consists of broadleaf forests, which gradually give way to spruces and beeches as you ascend. At higher altitudes, mountain meadows eventually yield to rocky peaks. Valgerola is surrounded by nine valleys and stretches from 200 meters up to over 2,000 meters in elevation. It is crossed by the Bitto stream, which also gives its name to the famous cheese we will discuss later on.

NATURAL WONDERS – PLACES TO VISIT – ECOMUSEUMS – ACTIVITIES

The heart of our Valley is the last village you encounter: Gerola Alta. The origin of its name is linked to a devastating flood in the 13th century that destroyed the small settlement, making it necessary to rebuild it on the “gera,” meaning gravel. This municipality, the southernmost in the province of Sondrio, has 168 inhabitants and covers 38 square kilometers. It is made up of four large valleys that converge into the main Val Gerola: to the east lies Val Bomino, then Val di Fenile, which opens onto the basins of Lake Pescegallo, the Foppe di Pescegallo, and Val Tronella; next is Valle della Pietra, which leads to the vast alpine pastures of Trona and the valleys of Trona and Inferno; and finally Val Vedrano. The summit of the famous Pizzo dei Tre Signori (2,554 m), where the borders of the provinces of Sondrio, Bergamo, and Lecco meet, is located in the southwestern corner of the municipality.

Gerola is made up of several hamlets that branch out around the central one known as “the square.” The other main hamlet is Pescegallo, home to the ski facilities. It is mainly in these two areas that the real estate offer is concentrated: houses for sale or rent, as well as chalets and rustic homes.

Among the natural beauties of the area are several peaks ideal for hikes of varying difficulty, whether at lower altitudes through broadleaf forests or higher up among mountain pastures and summits. A pleasant walk, for example, starts from the Pescegallo parking area (1,454 m) and leads to the Salmurano Hut; for more experienced hikers, it is possible to continue to the Salmurano Pass (2,017 m), which connects the Bitto Valley of Gerola to Val Brembana, or reach the Benigni Hut. Also noteworthy are the Cadorna trail and the route leading to Pizzo dei Tre Signori.

For those looking for something more challenging, there are also several climbing routes: a large “climbing area” has recently been established, second only to that of Valmasino. This area offers hundreds of equipped routes, both for bouldering and for free climbing with rope support. There are also numerous trails for MTB enthusiasts, winding through forests, lakes, and mountain pastures.

Running enthusiasts cannot miss the International Rosetta Skyrace, a 22 km route starting and finishing in Rasura at its multifunctional center. The highest point is reached at Pizzo dei Galli (2,217 m a.s.l.). The trails along the course and the breathtaking views will leave you speechless. Cima della Rosetta is also a popular winter destination for ski mountaineers.

Exploring the Valgerola, you will often come across various lakes and small alpine ponds, both natural and shaped by human intervention through dams—some of which are also suitable for fishing. Among the most famous are Lake Pescegallo (1,865 m a.s.l.) and Lake dell’Inferno, which takes its name from the reddish color its waters assume in certain areas due to the iron contained in the surrounding sedimentary rocks. Not to be missed is also the natural Lake Zancone.

The Valgerola lakes tour is an interesting hiking itinerary. Along the way, you will also encounter several mountain streams (the so-called “bit”) during your walks. An interesting fact: this area records the highest annual rainfall among the Orobie valleys.

Besides its waters, another attraction for tourists are the beautiful alpine pastures, among the most famous being Alpe Stavello, Alpe Vedrano, Alpe Trona Soliva, the pastures of Pescegallo, and Alpe Bomino. Some abandoned pastures still convey a sense of nostalgia for a past that lives on through its traces: here you can come across semi-ruined huts and the famous calècc, found only in the Bitto valleys.

The name derives from “cà” (house) and “lecc” (bed); they can be described as itinerant dairy huts, consisting of a base of four dry stone walls covered by a canvas. Inside, a fire was lit with a large cauldron to produce cheese from the freshly milked milk of the herds grazing nearby. A calècc would be used for only a few days, until the grass in the pasture was exhausted; at that point, the herders would move on to another calècc, while the cheese was taken away to mature.

It is worth saying a few words about the Valgerola Ecomuseum: it was established in 2008 with the active involvement of various institutions and the local community, with the aim of showcasing the territory and the history of the valley, enhancing its traditions, and helping visitors discover its true identity. The ecomuseum is not merely a tourist attraction; rather, it is a way for this community to present itself through its history, which is inseparably tied to the land.

The “Ecomusensi Trail” is a multi-sensory path stretching for 1 km, where visitors encounter various installations offering all kinds of sensory stimuli: scents, colors, sounds, tactile panels, and more. This permanent exhibition is suitable for everyone—adults and children alike—and is also accessible to seniors and those with mobility impairments.

The Valgerola Ecomuseum organizes guided tours to ethnographic sites and museums across the territory. Visitors can explore, for example, rooms recreated in their original form, stables, tailoring workshops, or mills with traditional tools. Another highlight is the “House of Time”: established through the initiative of several institutions, including the Municipality of Gerola and the Orobie Valtellinesi Regional Park Authority, it allows you to dive into the past and trace back to the origins of the Earth and humankind.

Tours are always available in summer, while in winter they can be arranged upon request. In addition to being valuable for its educational aspects in biology and geology, even the youngest visitors can enjoy themselves with interactive games.

In Sacco, inside the camera picta dating back to the 1400s with a cycle of frescoes, you can spot the so-called Homo Salvadego, a mysterious man of the valleys who has become a symbol of Alpine peasant culture.

Ecomuseums therefore tell the inseparable story between nature and human labor. They recount the landscapes, which over time have changed and been shaped by people; they tell of ancient crafts and the tools that made them possible, and they convey respect for tradition and the identity of a community.

The building that houses the ecomuseum is also home to the Bitto Center. Let’s take a closer look at what it is.

BITTO E SAGRE

Bitto is the most prestigious cheese of the entire Valtellina. It is a full-fat cheese made from cow’s milk, sometimes with the addition of goat’s milk. The wheels, ranging from 15 to 25 kg, are produced and aged directly in the mountain huts (alpine dairies).

Initially, the cheese obtained the Protected Designation of Origin, but in order to produce larger quantities and sell it at more affordable prices, the Bitto PDO consortium partially modified its production process. Producers in Valgerola, however, continued to make it according to the traditional method, giving rise to Historical Bitto. Since 2016, following a long dispute caused by the fact that the Bitto brand belonged to the PDO consortium, the producers decided to market the product under a new brand, which now bears the name “Storico Ribelle” and is made exclusively in the Bitto valleys.

The importance of this product for the people of Valgerola is demonstrated by the Bitto Center, the beating heart of Gerola. This building houses the so-called casera, a room created for aging the cheese, which can mature for up to 15 years. On the first floor of the building, there is even a tasting room where visitors can also purchase various local products such as the finest Valtellina wines, local cured meats, and some of the area’s traditional dishes (like Pizzoccheri or polenta with Storico Bitto). Bitto is the symbolic product of the Valgerola community and a central element of many tourist activities. Between September and October, the unmissable annual festival, the famous Bitto Festival, takes place, attracting visitors from all over Italy and beyond; it features tasting stands, lunches and dinners with Bitto as the star, music, guided tours, and much more.

The Valgerola is very active in organizing events and festivals, mainly dedicated to its land and local products. Various groups and associations have invested heavily in these initiatives, creating structures for slow food events (such as the blueberry or chestnut festival in Rasura, the Alpine festival, and the “Mountains of Chocolate” event in Gerola, where visitors can enjoy sweets and chocolate tastings).

WINTER SPORTS AND PESCEGALLO

The abundant snowfall allows for many trails dedicated to snowshoeing, as well as organized snowshoe hikes, providing an excellent opportunity to explore Valgerola even during the winter season.

A peaceful snowshoe walk, ideal even for beginners and children, starts from the dirt road in Gerola Alta, passes through Fenile, touches Pescegallo, and continues towards the Salmurano Refuge, on the ski slopes. The alpine guides and the information office are available to help you choose the best route for your abilities and preferences.

The other major winter activity in Valgerola is skiing. The Valgerola-Pescegallo ski resort extends from 1,450 meters to 2,000 meters above sea level, with the starting point in Pescegallo. Thanks to the high altitude, snow coverage is almost always natural from December to April, and is guaranteed by a snowmaking system. The resort offers about ten kilometers of slopes; due to the varied topography of the area, there are slopes suitable for beginners as well as black runs. There is also a ski school on-site that organizes courses of various levels, and you’ll find shops where you can rent or buy the necessary equipment.

For the little ones, also in Pescegallo, since 2016 there has been a playground called Gallopark, a 3,000-square-meter area next to the ski lift station, ideal for taking the first steps into the world of alpine skiing: it offers two slopes of different difficulty, one for beginners and the other for young intermediate-expert skiers, as well as a track for toboggans and sledges.

Even snowboard enthusiasts will find plenty to enjoy, this time at Salmurano, not far from Gerola, where there is a well-equipped snow park. In the Piana di Fenile area, there is also a small loop for cross-country skiing, while in Gerola Alta, there is an ice skating rink. For those interested in ski mountaineering, there are plenty of options as well: two examples are the Munt de Sura route, a not too demanding trail thanks to a small elevation gain, and the Ponteranica route, of medium difficulty, along with many others.

Valgerola offers everything the mountains have to offer: events and festivals throughout the year, winter and summer sports surrounded by breathtaking nature that tells the story of its people, as well as facilities for children. There are also plenty of rental options for short or long stays, as well as properties for sale including cabins, traditional farmhouses, or residential units.

Come and discover it with us. Explore the listings offered by our real estate agency.

Live the Alps