Alta Valtellina, or the Valtelline Valley, is known as northern Lombardy’s winter playground. Its high-altitude, easternmost reaches—known as the Alta Valtellina—are home to a network of villages connected by the highest passes in the eastern Alps. A winding journey through this part of the valley reveals seemingly endless runs of world-class skiing, soothing hot springs and, of course, bresaola, its famous air-cured meat.

Roughly 90 miles northeast of Milan, the town of Sondrio, centrally located in Valtellina, is the starting point for a trip east that winds through the picturesque passes and peaks of the valley, and ends 60 miles away at the slopes and spas of Bormio. The main route to Bormio, SS38, is lined by terraced slopes that are verdant with nebbiolo vineyards in the warmer months. These grapes make for some of the best examples of nebbiolo wine outside of Barolo. Wine from Valtellina Superiore, one of two DOCG designations for the region, is a more delicate cousin to the bolder nebbiolos from Piedmont. The cool climate of the region tempers the acidity and tannins to produce a nuanced and complex wine that complements the local cuisine.

Sforzato di Valtellina is the other DOCG wine of the Sondrio region. It is made in the same way as Amarone, and the name loosely translates to “forced” in local dialect. Sforzato is a bold, robust wine with deep extraction and a long, satin finish that accents the earthy flavor of the local bresaola. Valtellina’s bresaola is considered Italy’s best, and here it’s often sliced paper-thin and served as an antipasto, or mixed into risotto with Valtellina Casera cheese. Driving toward Bormio, a lunch at one of the local restaurants along the route is a necessary stop. Hostaria Tona near Tirano is a good place to pair a Valtellina wine with local fare like a hearty dish of pizzoccheri, a pasta made with  buckwheat flour called grano saraceno.

From Tirano, the main route heads north. Perched high above Valtellina near the border with Switzerland, Bormio lies at the gateway to Stelvio pass, the highest paved pass in the eastern Alps. Skiers from around the world flock to Bormio because of its position at the heart of the expansive Alta Valtellina ski area. But the town’s charm goes well beyond the skiing—it’s been a destination since Roman times, when the well-heeled visited the local thermal baths for their curative effects. It was also a major stop on the trade route between Venice and Switzerland, which brought money to the town that paid for its gorgeous churches and palazzos.
Despite its popularity as a sporting destination, the town has maintained its old-world feel. Restaurants in the historic town center offer traditional dishes, and rustic bars serve up cozy aprés ski drinks to take the edge off a long day on the slopes.
Bormio’s thermal baths offer their rejuvenating waters year round. The original Roman baths, the Bagni Vecchi, are now divided into six sections with more than 30 different thermal facilities and treatments. The newer Bagni Nuovi spa also has a variety of thermal facilities, including a waterfall and a Turkish bath.

Both spas are accessible to the public, but to truly enjoy the facilities, you should stay in one of the adjacent hotels. The Grand Hotel Bagni Nuovi is the more elegant of the two and has long been a destination for celebrities, with its luxurious dining room housed in the old ballroom. The Hotel Bagni Vecchi is the charming but humble sibling to the Grand Hotel, smaller in scale with only 12 rooms. Guests of either hotel get free use of the baths that are located within walking distance of one another.

While Alta Valtellina is truly a winter wonderland, a return visit in the summer offers its own share of adventure. Bormio has easy access to the vast Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio, the largest park in the Alps and home to the Alpine Botanic Garden. This extensive garden cultivates 2,500 species of local flora, and the park itself offers miles of scenic hiking trails for the outdoor enthusiast.

February 2009