Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
is the second-highest pass in the Alps and is approached from the north from the hamlet of
Trafoi
(1543m) on one of Europe's most spectacular roads, a series of tight switchbacks
covering 15km, with some very steep gradients. The road is also famous among cyclists,
who train all winter to prepare for its gut-wrenching ascent, and often features in the Giro
d'Italia. The hair-raising high pass is only open from June to September, and always sub-
ject to closures dependent on early or late snowfall.
Bormio
Lying immediately south of Passo dello Stelvio, Bormio (1125m) is actually in Lombardy,
but acts as an unofficial HQ for the park. It's a popular ski resort, with proximity to some
of Italy's highest runs. From October through May, Bormio is best approached from Son-
dalo in Lombardy, or via Tubre into Switzerland to take the Munt la Schera tunnel to
Livigno.
Cima Bianca
rises just above the town, while nearby the year-round
Pista Stelvio
drops 1800m over 8km. The town's now very posh thermal springs have been famous
since Roman times (Leonardo da Vinci liked a soak). Visit Bormio
tourist office
( 0342 90
33 00;
www.bormioonline.com
; Via Roma 131b)
for maps, weather forecasts and trekking advice.
MOUNTAIN MAGIC
The culture of the 'cure' is no passing fad in Alto Adige. Spas have done a roaring trade here for over
two hundred years and wellness continues to be been taken very seriously - many Europeans can
claim spa visits on national health insurance.
Local spa treatments use ingredients from field and forest - pine, honey, apples, grapes and whey -
stirred, pounded or powdered into packs, scrubs, massage oils or topping up soaking tubs. The most
curious, and intrinsically Tyrolean, is the hay bath, where spa-goers are cocooned in aromatic Alpine
grasses, flowers and herbs. The mulch slowly heats the body while releasing a potent mix of medicinal
oils. Curative? Perhaps… Relaxing? Absolutely.
Boutique manufacturers of body-care products and herbal tisanes, based around folk traditions and
incorporating Alpine botanicals, are also a booming local industry; pharmacies throughout the region
offer a staggering range.
Val di Solda
The village of
Solda
(Sulden; 1906m), reached by winding your way up the deep, dark val-
ley of the same name, is surrounded by 14 peaks over 3000m high. This low-key ski re-
