Sentiero Panoramico in Bergell
Vicosoprano – Soglio,
Distance 9km; 450m ascent and 480m descent / 4hrs (with many breaks)
A truly panoramic walk through the narrow and isolated valley of Bergell, with views of formidable-looking Piz Badile (3305m) and other spiky peaks.
After coming down the famous winding Maloja pass on a cloudy Sunday, our bus arrived at Vicosoprano in the valley of Bergell, today’s starting point for the “Sentiero Panoramico” walk.
Abandoned barns with slate roofs are scattered along the steep slope and it adds to the forlorn feeling of this valley. Apparently, the number of farm animals such as cow, sheep and goats decreased dramatically last 90 years and the photos on the panels show that the forest is reviving and taking over the former grazing area.
We could also look down the village of Bondo which suffered from the rockslide in 2017 from the Piz Cengalo (3300m) towering over the village. Life is not easy here.
Our final destination is very picturesque Soglio perched on the sunny terrace of the valley. We wandered around the narrow and winding cobblestone lanes, looking around the Palazzio Salis and its garden, other typical stone houses and stables.
The chestnut festival, the village’s biggest event, is over and all the restaurants and shops are closed. The villages seem almost deserted and quiet except for some hikers. It feels like Soglio stood still forever. Below the village, smoke comes out of many chestnut barns‘ chimneys. The locals process chestnuts for which they are so well known.
We got to know more about this beautiful and remote corner of Switzerland.
Route details: https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland/routes/route-0796.html
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