Lombardy: first edition of Valchiavenna Gravel Escape kicks off

In the province of Sondrio, Chiavenna is an Alpine town with a soul, which promotes gentle mobility on foot or by bicycle, an activity that symbolises a concrete vocation for Cittaslow Outdoor Tourism. Here it is possible to walk along the historic and elegant town centre, climb the mule tracks leading to scenic villages, or taste the delicacies of the crotti.

It is a community that lives in the heart of the Alps and that for centuries has acted as a hinge between north and south, but also between the mountains, the real ones, of the passes of the high hamlets and alpine pastures, and the valley floor and lakes. Its historical past lives on through the palaces with rich façades, the small squares with splendid fountains and the works of art such as the Collegiate Church of San Lorenzo complex with its church, baptistery, cloister with bell tower and the Museum of the Treasury where the 'Peace of Chiavenna', a 12th-century gospel book cover, is preserved. In terms of events, a novelty in the area will be the first official edition of the Valchiavenna Gravel Escape, scheduled for Sunday 11 May 2025. This is a ride among friends that aims to celebrate spring. The Sagra dei crotti (first two weekends in September) and the Dì de la brisaola (first Sunday in October) remain unmissable events. Both events celebrate Chiavenna gastronomy, places, products and producers: the crotti where you can dive into the past, in an atmosphere made suggestive by the chink between the rocks from which a current of air blows, maintaining an ideal temperature. In the historic centre of the town there are beautiful flats, located inside historic buildings where you can breathe in the atmosphere of the past, while in the village of Pianazzola, in a panoramic position, you can find the Vecchia Scuola guesthouse and the Cà Pianazola farmhouse. There is also an assortment of proposals among crotti, typical restaurants and refined settings, where at table one can savour the tradition of a valley with centuries of crossing the borders of the Alpine passes that separate Italy from the heart of Europe.