Surrounded by the Orobie Alps chain, the Brembana Valley is located northern than Milan, in the province of Bergamo. It owes its name to the river Brembo that forged its “V” shape.
This valley is worldwide reknown for some peculiar products and for the skills of some local characters: such as for San Pellegrino and its water; for the Tasso family, creator of the modern postal system; for Arlequine, a carnival mask; for the Baschenis family, a group of skilled painters but especially the Brembana valley is known as “The Cheese Valley”. This territory can boast important D.O.P. cheeses such as Strachitunt, Taleggio, Formai de Mut, Bitto and many other traditional cheeses such as Branzi and Agrì di Valtorta. These products, made exclusively in the Brembana Valley, embody all the flavours of the unspoilt meadows and pastures of the Orobie Alps.
From 2019 Bergamo and its province is a UNESCO Creative City and in 2023 Italian Capital of Culture.
This small valley is scattered with country churches, evocative landscapes, ancient traditions, local knowledge and authentic moments of life, unknown to most. This land perfectly embodies the spirit of Out of Italy: an area where life still flows slowly.
Group departures 2024: 17th April | 22nd May | 19th June | 10th July | 18th September | 16th October
This trip make you discover at a slow pace a local green networks of knowledge hidden in ancient tiny villages and “borghi”. Step by step with a local cultural guide and a natural trekking expert you will enjoy a trekking route throughout exclusive historical sites of the Brembana Valley.
A journey to connect with nature, breath over green plateau and get deeply in the traditions of this territory. During these days you will experience firsthand the skills and products by visiting to local farms and laboratories, admiring local painters works and ethnographic museums, tastings, retracing ancient routes, such as the Iron Way that used to link mines and smeltine furnaces, or the Priula way created during the Venetian Republic Domination.
An unusual way to explore the most authentic Brembana Valley essence, step by step across the many realities scattered among the region.
Arrival at the airport, meet and great with our local guide and private transfer to the Brembana Valley. Check-in at the hotel, dinner in a local restaurant and overnight.
After breakfast check-out and start trekking with our local cultural guide and natural trekking guide following a path into the woods. A walk that allows us to reconnect with nature, silently, far from the noise of everyday life. We walk until the panorama opens up over the village and the plain of Piazzolo. The small fields dotting the green plateau are a reminder of the intense uses of the past and the absolute dominance of cereals and potatoes over the meadows, now prevalent but once given over to the steeper and less fertile areas.
We descend towards this small little village still inhabited by nearly 90 people. We enjoy a short visit of the small historic center, discover some hints of the town’s history, and the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta.
We then continue towards Piazzatorre, passing through the Forcella pass. On they way we stop to eat our picnic lunch.
We reach Piazzatorre, a picturesque setting: we are surrounded by the Orobie Bergamasche reserve! Here we visit the beautiful parish church of San Giacomo Apostolo, overlooking the valley, before continuing towards Mezzoldo.
The route towards Mezzoldo is flat, it crosses the Pegherolo Valley which in 1987 was literally devastated by a flood. Once in Mezzoldo we enjoy a private visit to a local farm: we meet the owners and listen to their stories. We also enjoy a local–cheese tasting before going up to the parish church of San Giovanni Battista. From this point we take a short stretch of the ancient Priula Road, built by the Venetian Republic at the end of the 16th cent., up to the center of the village where we check-in at the hotel. Aperitif with local products, typical dinner and overnight stay.
After breakfast with local products, we set off from Mezzoldo going downwards through the ancient Via del Ferro (literally Iron Way) that was used in the past to link mines and smelting furnaces. During this walk, we also cross part of the Priula road to reach and visit the tiny hamlets of Sparavera and Soliva, to then keep walking till Sigadola and Acquacolda, from where we can admire the village of Piazzolo from afar.
These small hamlets are located high up on the mountain and surrounded by steep slopes and fir forests they are the perfect frame of ancient knowledge that have been preserved over time.
We continue walking towards Olmo al Brembo, from where we start climbing up towards the pick of the Averara, the richest town in terms of history and culture of this side of the valley. In Averara we eat our picnic before visiting the Soluna Laboratories, one of the Brembana excellences: a noteworthy firm that produces natural cosmetics with local herbs, a must-see of the area. We also visit the rural hamlet of Redivo, the porticoed street and the parish church of San Giacomo Apostolo with the curious Sapienza Tower.
One last effort takes us to Santa Brigida, where we check-in at the hotel for a welcoming aperitif, dinner and overnight.
After breakfast we explore the village of Santa Brigida starting with a visit to the local museum dedicated to the Baschenis family: local famous painters.
We then continue towards Cusio, stopping at a tipical farm, where we can enjoy a delicious local snack and discover the stable with the animals, while talking to the owners.
We then go up towards Cusio along an old mule track. As soon as we enter Cusio, an ancient 17th -century mill welcomes us, here we enjoy a guided tour and we still see it in action. This is a special moment to discover the rural life of this valley.
We then keep walking towards the center of Cusio to discover the parish church of Santa Margherita, with its works of art.
From here we go up till the Colle della Maddalena and then head towards the village of Cesur, close to the village of Ornica.
Here we enjoy a spectacular view of the so call Val d’Inferno (literally Heaven Valley) where some farmers still take their cows to pasture. Thanks to our mountain guide we analyse the view and admire the pick Pizzo dei Tre Signori which dominates the area.
We take a little stop to eat our picnic.
From this point the path becomes easier and we follow the road across the pinewood that takes us to Colle di Dudello, from where we see Valtorta, our next stop. Along this road we reach the beautiful village of Pigolota, which is currently uninhabited but very fascinating.
We continue our journey across a couple of typical mountain villages of Costa and Cantello, until we reach the village centre of Valtorta.
Check-in at the hotel, welcome aperitif, dinner and overnight stay.
After breakfast, we enjoy a guided visit to the Latteria Sociale, a local dairy workshop, an interesting example of a community dairy, where we will witness the processing and production of local DOP cheeses. The most renowned is a small cheese called Agrì, which is produced only here and it is certified to be a “Slow Food Presidium”.
We then take a guided visit to the ethnographic museum and the local mills located in an astonishing green setting.
We then start walking towards Ornica, a very characteristic small rural village. Picnic on the way.
Once we reach the historic centre we visit it and we then check-in at the Albergo Diffuso (literally spread around hotel) and enjoy a welcome aperitif, dinner with typical products. Overnight in the local “spread-around hotel”.
After breakfast we visit a real masterpiece of the valley: the parish church of Ornica with its Sacristy where we admire the frescoed vault, painted by the Baschenis.
At the end of the visit we climb up towards Cusio, where we visit the small country Church dedicated to San Giovanni Battista: another rural beauty painted by the Baschenis family
Picnic on the way.
On our way to the bottom of the valley, we pass through Santa Brigida where we discover the beautiful Church of the Addolorata, a very ancient church of this Valley, from where a fabulous panorama opens up and where we discover again the works of art by the Baschenis painters.
We continue our journey going down into the woods until we reach the path that leads us to Olmo al Brembo. Here we stop at the ancient Pianetti sawmill, (currently an info-point) where we can collect the purchases made during the trip in the various local companies. We continue our journey towards Piazza Brembana, closing our loop and where our minivan is waiting to bring us to the medieval hamlet of Cornello dei Tasso. Here we check in at an ancient dwelling, enjoy an aperitif. Dinner in a local restaurant and overnight.
After breakfast, check-out and departure for Milan.
From April to October, upon request and availability.
On request – quotations from 2 to 12 pax.
For further information on the price or a tailor-made quotation please contact us at info@out-of-italy.com.
The climate is typically temperate mid-latitude climate, rainy during spring with hot summer and cold winters. We are on a mountain region so, also during summer it is advisable to bring along some warm clothes.
Daily breakfast, 5 pic – nic lunches, 7 dinners, 4 aperitif and a snack are included.
Transfer in/out by minivan. Then, it’s a trekking! But, there will be a van to transfer our luggage from one hotel to the others.
For logistics or technical reasons, the itinerary can be run with some amendments on the sequence of the visits and excursions.
