WALKING COMES NATURALLY!
The Via Bregaglia and the Via Sett are splendid hiking routes undertaken in stages over
a few days. The itineraries afford the opportunity of getting to know and appreciate fully
the picturesque little mountain villages along with the culture and art of this magnificent Alpine region. The classic setting out point along the Via Bregaglia is Maloja, at 1815 metres above sea level, and the goal – to the little town of Chiavenna at a mere 333m. Heading southwards walkers might well be taken by surprise by the sudden and quite drastic changes in the vegetation.
From a typical Alpine environment you drop fairly rapidly and appreciate a much warmer feel to the climate. Setting out amid pine and flowering gentian plants, within a couple of days you’re surrounded by palms and vegetation much more typical of the Mediterranean. The route involves following in the footsteps of the smugglers of old although the paths themselves have become much kinder to today’s unburdened traveller.
The Via Sett meanwhile sets out from the heart of the Italian Grigioni at Thusis and on reaching the height of Bivio it connects with the Via Bregaglia. The route involves crossing three valleys with their contrasting cultures, until once again reaching Chiavenna at the foot of the Alps.
In addition to the magnificent mountain landscapes along the way there are splendid little churches and ancient fortifications to take in and for the old romantics amongst us there are 13 boards adorned with poetry in Romansch with accompanying translation. The itinerary takes its name from the Settimo Pass, a crossing point of considerable importance even in Roman times. During the Middle ages the entire route from Coira down to Chiavenna was one of the most recognised thoroughfares for travellers.
Cià c’am va!
As if you didn’t know – “Come on – let’s get going!” is the translation of the above Valbregaglia dialect term of ‘encouragement’. And the expression has been adopted by an ambitious project which saw the light of day some years ago now in Valbregaglia. It’s involved the creation of five different walks designed specifically for families with young children (from 3 years upwards). The routes, which are all located along the Via Bregaglia, are all suitable for both pushchair or pram and they vary in length from one to ten kilometres. It’s a wonderful opportunity for young walkers to really get to know the culture and natural environment all around.
The Via Sett Package
The route which is feasible from spring right through to autumn is divided into five stages and comprises overall a distance of 94km. The package on offer is over five days (Thusis – Chiavenna) and is already available for bookings from CHF 589. – (around 453 euro.) and is pretty comprehensive:
overnight stays with breakfast in *** hotels, luggage transport, packed
lunches, all necessary maps and detailed information about the route.
Further info. at www.viasett.ch .
The Via Bregaglia Package
On offer starting at just 260 euro. the package comprises overnight stays with
breakfast, packed lunches, luggage transport, all necessary maps and detailed information about the route, entry to a local museum and of course a genuinely warm welcome! This flat-rate package can be customised for individual groups whether for duration or for starting and finishing points. There are also choices of hotel category.
Further info. at www.viabregaglia.ch.
