Trail Name: Via dei Terrazzamenti (Terrace Way)
Trail Type: Long distance; well-maintained, with a hard-packed, but occasionally uneven, surface; usually good marking on the trail
Length:
Total: 70 kilometers/43 miles (Morbegno – Tirano)
Mine: 14 kilometers/8.5 miles
Convenient to: Sondrio, or Tirano, Lombardy, Italy
Marking:
The words Via dei Terrazzamenti, accompanied by a logo resembling a four-leaf clover on a yellow arrow; sometimes the same logo is on a white bar over red bar rectangular sign (See the featured photo above, and the photo below.)
Trail Description:
A beautiful, if sometimes challenging, trail that leads across a variety of surfaces through a variety of landscapes: fields, forests, vineyards, villages, towns. Along the trail, the many turns, and ascents (or descents), reveal surprises around every corner, or with every crest, with magnificent distant views of the valley, the river and the Alps, and intimate views of small, mostly unvisited, settlements.
Trailheads:
Official: Train Station, Via Roma, Tirano to Train Station, Via Prati Grassi, Morbegno
Mine: Sondrio, Castello Masegra/V. Besta Carlo to Postalesio, by the church
Parking:
Tirano: Behind the train station
Chiuro: Rest stop “Area di Sosta al Pontesel”, on edge of town, at the end of SP 21 dir D (at the top of Via Michele)
Ponte in Valtellina: SP 21 (intersection with Via Bondi) (above B&B Via Paradiso)
Montagna in Valtellina: Via Maiolo and Via Maiolo x V. Dosso Castaldo, Via Prada x SP21, and a few spots on Via Prada, V. Madonnina x V. Roma
Ponchiera: V. Besta Carlo, a small off-street lot
Postalesio: by the church
Morbegno: Near the train station, on Via Prati Grassi
Public Transportation Options:
Rail: The Colico to Tirano train service, connects Colico, Morbegno, Berbenno, Sondrio, Chiuro and Tirano.
Local buses: Required to reach smaller towns and frazioni directly on the trail (Postalesio, Castione Andevenno, Triasso, Ponchiera, Montagna in Valtellina, Poggiridenti)
Suggested Stages:
Official: (1) Tirano – Sondrio, (2) Sondrio – Morbegno; Each is about 32 and 36 kilometers respectively
Mine: (1) Chiuro – Ponchiera, (2) Ponchiera – Postalesio; Each is about 11 and 13 kilometers respectively
Trail Itinerary-Reference Points: (From Sondrio, Castel Masegra/V. Besta Carlo to Postalesio, by the church only)
Sondrio: V. Besta Carlo x V. Fossati, past Castel Masegra, V. Ligari, Piazza Cavour, Cross the bridge onto V. Romegialli, EITHER V. Baiacca crossing SP15/V Valmalenco to a path to upper V. Valmalenco, then left to V Campoledro then to Via delle Sasselle OR V. Bassi, V. Quadrio, Cross SP15 to take the stairs opposite to a path uphill through vineyards to Via delle Sasselle-Strada per Triasso; Triasso; Moroni: Strada per Triasso-Via Moroni, Via Margella; Castione Andevenno: V.Vendolo/SP14; Vendolo OR Guasto: SP14, path past the cascade; Postalesio: Via Santi, V. Grande, V. Rodello
Representative Trail Photos:
Attractions on or near Trail:
Sondrio: Historic city center; Castel Masegra (seasonal hours), but none specifically related to viniculture
Various locations: Wine-themed educational boards in English and German, as well as Italian
Tasting along the Trail:
Chiuro and Teglio have the most wineries overall. But along this segment of the trail, close by the Sassella vineyard area (west from Sondrio, to Berbenno), there are half a dozen or so. Sondrio has many restaurants and bars which offer local wines.
Alternative Options:
Biking: This 114-kilometer/71-mile bike trail, beautifully maintained, begins east of Tirano, and continues to Colico, on Lake Garda. See the Nutshell here. https://www.valtellina.it/en/bike/cycling-tourism/routes/sentiero-valtellina
Additional Information:
Regional: https://tirano-mediavaltellina.it/ https://www.valtellina.it/ and https://www.visitasondrio.it/site/en/home.html
Trail specific: https://www.visitasondrio.it/site/home/ispirati/vacanza-attiva/trekking-e-passeggiate/via-dei-terrazzamenti.html
Comments:
There are some official variations on this trail, to include routes to and from the train stations.
Some of the buses serve the small villages very infrequently, especially on weekends.
This trail is also suggested to more experienced mountain-bikers.