Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Up on the plateau at Peglio, the
Chiesa di Sant'Eusebio e Vittore
(Peglio; 3-6pm Sat-Sun &
Thu Jul-Sep)
offers lake views and masterly frescoes by 17th-century Milanese painter
Giovan Mauro della Rovere, better known as Il Fiammenghino ('Little Fleming'). He
sought refuge here after murdering a man and did penance painting the vivid
Last Judge-
ment
.
Sorico, the most northerly of the three towns, guards the mouth of the River Mera,
which flows into shallow
Lake Mezzola
, once part of Lago di Como and now a bird-breed-
ing nature reserve. Follow the path of the river to the tiny
Oratorio di San Fedelino
, with its
1000-year-old fresco of Christ and the Apostles. It's only accessible on foot or by boat
from Sorico.
Valtellina
From the north end of Lago di Como, the Valtellina valley cuts a broad swathe along the
course of the Adda river, between the Swiss mountain frontier to the north and the Orobie
Alps to the south. The steep northern flank is carpeted by nebbiolo grapes, which yield a
light red wine. Both body and alcohol content improve with altitude so generations of
Valtenesi built upwards, carrying the soil in woven baskets to high mountain terraces.
Their reward: a DOC classification (a regional quality classification) for Valtellina Superi-
ore since 1968. In Sondrio, the hub of the valley, it's possible to visit the cellars of
Pell-
0342 21 59 21;
www.valtellina.it
;
Piazzale Bertacchi 77, Sondrio;
9am-12.30pm & 3.30-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon
Sat)
in Sondrio.
The prettiest town in the valley is
Tirano
, where mule trains once came from Venice
and Brescia, and which is now the departure point for the
Trenino Rosso del Bernina
(
0342 70 62 63;
www.treninorosso.it
; one way/return €24.50/49)
, a gravity-defying rail track that
crests Europe's highest Alpine pass at 2253m on the way to St Moritz in Switzerland.
Located in the heart of the Valtellina's finest vineyards in Bianzone is Anna Bertola's
charming Alpine chalet,
Altavilla
( 0342 72 03 55;
www.altavilla.info
;
Via ai Monti 46, Bianzone;
meals €30; noon-2.30pm & 7-10pm Tue-Sun, daily Aug; )
, one of the gastronomic
treats of the region. Expect traditional mountain dishes such as
sciàtt
(buckwheat pan-
cakes stuffed with Bitto cheese),
pizzocheri
(buckwheat pasta) and venison. Rooms are
also available (singles €25 to €50, doubles €55 to €70).
