September 10, 2026 - Summer is winding down, the days are getting shorter, and the air of Alta Valtellina – cool, for once – is starting to carry the first hints of autumn. But if the holidays are ending, the urge to explore certainly isn’t: this is actually the perfect moment, with milder temperatures and less crowded trails, to discover the Bormio area at your own pace, without any rush, letting curiosity guide you rather than the clock.

It’s in this season of transition that the e-bike proves to be the perfect travel companion: it makes it possible to climb without effort, stop whenever a fresco, a bell tower or a view catches the eye, and rediscover the pleasure of slow travel, able to tell the story and soul of these valleys through five itineraries designed for pedaling among villages, ancient churches and unforgettable landscapes.

Along the Adda River, through history and frescoes in Valdisotto
The first route follows the course of the Adda River between Bormio and Valdisotto, alternating cycle paths and quiet side roads: a loop of roughly 30 kilometers that takes about four hours, with a modest elevation gain of just over 500 meters – enough to justify a few stops, but never enough to leave you out of breath.

From Bormio’s historic center, the route reaches Cepina, where the Ossuary is well worth a stop, with its elegant wrought-iron gate, fantastical figures decorating the pediment, and 17th-century frescoes weaving together the themes of life’s transience and hope. Continuing south, the Church of San Bartolomeo holds fresco cycles from the 14th to the 16th century and, almost miraculously, survived the 1987 Val Pola landslide.

The return to Bormio runs almost entirely along the Sentiero Valtellina cycle path, through meadows and river views that for centuries formed the natural link between the villages of Alta Valtellina.

The thread connecting Bormio and Valfurva
Just 8.3 kilometers and an hour and a half of riding, with only 175 meters of elevation gain, make up the easiest and most accessible of the five itineraries, suitable even for first-time e-bikers: it crosses the medieval historic center of Bormio, through alleys, squares and historic palazzi, before following the valley floor toward Valfurva.

Along the way are the charming Church of San Nicolò, small chapels surrounded by greenery, and historic buildings that for centuries welcomed pilgrims and merchants heading toward the great alpine passes. This isn’t a ride for athletes, but an invitation to slow down: take in the baitelli, the old hay barns, the stone walls, the facades of traditional houses, and perhaps stop for a break at one of the spots along the way, in an area that for centuries has been a crossroads between Italy, Switzerland and Tyrol.

Villages, churches and ironworks in the heart of Valdidentro
Heading from Bormio toward Isolaccia, this route of about 23 kilometers and 365 meters of elevation gain tells the story of authentic Valdidentro, where history, art and memory intertwine along the Adda. Highlights include the Church of San Gallo, documented as far back as the 13th century, the Soldiers’ Cemetery, where the First World War fallen were once buried, the Prato della Giustizia (Field of Justice), linked to witchcraft trials between the 16th and 17th centuries, and the Ferriere Corneliane, one of the valley’s most significant industrial archaeology sites, where water power once drove ironworking for centuries.

The route continues through Premadio, dominated by the fortress-church of Santi Martino e Urbano, with its rare coffered wooden ceiling and frescoed presbytery, and the villages of Turripiano and Pedenosso, where stone-and-timber architecture still speaks to the charm of the old alpine communities, before arriving in Isolaccia.

The Cancano Lakes circuit, among the waters of Stelvio National Park
Nestled within Stelvio National Park, the Cancano lakes circuit starts from the Torri di Fraele and skirts the Cancano and San Giacomo di Fraele dams, built respectively between 1953 and 1956 and between 1940 and 1950, the latter completed behind schedule due to the war.

The 19.3-kilometer route, with just 164 meters of elevation gain, traces the perimeter of the San Giacomo reservoir, crosses the dam, and returns to the starting point. Best tackled by e-bike, available for hire at the lakeside, though it can equally be walked.

To Forte Venini, between first world war history and views over the Bormio basin
The last itinerary climbs from Bormio toward Oga, passing along the way the Salacrist Mill, a reminder of the area’s rural past, before reaching the small, characterful village of Oga with its little church.

The route, about 24 kilometers long with 631 meters of elevation gain, culminates at Forte Venini, at 1,700 meters above sea level: one of the best-preserved fortifications in Alta Valtellina, built in the early 20th century to control access to the alpine passes and now transformed into one of the most spectacular scenic balconies over the Bormio basin, Valdisotto and the peaks of Stelvio National Park. The way back follows the Levissima springs dirt road through the woods, before descending toward Bormio along the quiet Strada dell’Alute.

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