Valdidentro includes four villages, Premadio, Pedenosso, Isolaccia and Semogo, located between 1250 and 1500 metres above sea level along the road that leads from Bormio to Livigno. The permanently snow capped Cima Piazzi Glacier dominates over Valdidentro, contrasting with the clear blue sky and underlying centuries-old green woods with its pine and fir trees framing the Stelvio National Park. The Valdidentro has a full history; it was crossed by the Imperial Way, which linked the Dukedom of Milan and the Republic of Venice to Engadine and the North of the Alps. The valley has also deep-seated traditions deriving from a millenary population who cultivated with the utmost respect the culture belonging to their mountains.
The Valdidentro valleys has an abundance of water supplied by rivers, streams, cascades, alpine lakes and artificial basins in Cancano. The water from Cancano furnishes the hydro-electric network system for the production of energy for Milan and the Lombardy Region.
Valdidentro is characterized by a geological structure of 9 hot spring water sources that gush from living rock at a steady temperature of 40°C found at the Baths of Bagni Vecchi. These Baths were already mentioned by Pliny and Cassiodoro. The Fonte Pliniana (Pliny Source), the Bagni Romani (Roman Baths) and the Sweating Grotto have been dedicated to them.
Valdidentro stands for a holiday in the sign of tranquillity, where, within short distance it is also possible to enjoy the tourist and sports facilities available including the facilities provided by Alta Valtellina, Bormio, Livigno, Santa Caterina and Stelvio. Stelvio is the most important summer skiing training ground in the World.
People have lived in this vast territory since the eleventh century as it was the passage between Bormio and Livigno, between Bormio and Engadine, it was the last bulwark between the South and the North of the Alps. This territory expanded due to the pastoral-agricultural economy typical of alpine tradition marked by the rhythm of summer mountain grazing - village, alpine pastures, summer pasturing in the mountains - in search of grass, the only food available for cattle, and also thanks to the commercial trade between the Dukedom of Milan and the Republic of Venice with the German Empire.
The territory has maintained the signs of the past: wooden and stone houses with attached stable, these being the ordinary farmers' houses; then there were the wooden summer mountain huts on the outskirts of the woods and surrounded by alpine pastures; the further up the mountain beyond the woods we have stone huts surrounded by summer pasture completely without plant life. Even today there is evidence of the cultural traditions of the mountain.
We can also see the landmarks of commercial and military communications used in those days: the Pedenosso Church that stands isolated on a rock like a fortress and further up we find the Fraele Towers located on the narrow passage way, overlooking Valdidentro and leading to San Giacomo Valley.
Valdidentro - a short distance from Bormio and Livigno
Santa Caterina Valfurva - surrounded by nature
Santa Caterina nestles in the basin that opens out between Mount Tresero, at the far southern end of the Ortles-Cevedale range, and the Confinale, a mountain from which one can gaze out over an uninterrupted series of Alpine peaks that stretch as far as the eye can see. The houses stand close to one another, a charming collection in which houses in wood alternate with stone roofs, and the slopes around the town are covered with a thick forest of conifers. Santa Caterina Valfurva still has many examples of rural architecture, with buildings made entirely of wood going back to the 16^ century and more recent constructions of stone and wood or made entirely of stone.
There are more than 500 examples of these "Alpine herdsman's cottages" in Valfurva alone. Santa Caterina is situated in the heart of the Stelvio National Park, where respect for nature becomes a chance to enjoy the myriad nuances in each season of the year. During the summer, visitors can try different kinds of excursions: from walks along paths through the woods to alpine climbs up towards the peaks of the Ortles-Cevedale range.
The Forni glacier can be admired by visitors in all its majesty and unchanging grandeur: a white, apparently immobile ocean. The glacier extends for about 13 km square into the valley of the same name north of Santa Caterina Valfurva and crossing it is necessary on many climbs. For its length, and for the peculiarities of its landscape and events in its history, it has been one of the most visited and studied glaciers in the Alps since the days of the Abbot Stoppani, who dedicated a chapter of his Bel Paese to it.
Winter comes early to Santa Caterina; its mantle of snow transforms the meadows into ski runs and attracts skiing enthusiasts onto the slopes that seem to be specially designed by nature to enhance the skiers' technical qualities. This ski-area has already hosted important races for the World Ski Championships in recent years and it features a great variety of scenary: from the ski slopes going through the woods, to the steep slope near the peaks, and to the gentle descent from an altitude of more than 2.700 metres at its highest point, down to the valley, with the sun that accompanies the skiers as far as the town in spring.
Bormio-Livigno-Santa Caterina-Stelvio-Valdidentro
Among the many tourist destinations in Italys' Alps, Bormio is one of the most desirable and popular. Bormio offers a wide variety of hotels and residences all equipped and very responsive to the needs of more diverse clientele, and for those in search of physical and mental relaxation, Bormio offers baths already known at the time of the ancient Romans. Starting from Bormio can easily be reached other cool locations such as Livigno, Santa Caterina, the Stelvio National Park (where you can ski during the summer), the towers of Fraele, Forni glacier, and many others; Switzerland ... read more>>
Immersed in an enchanting valley between the Stelvio National Park and the Engadine, Livigno is able to meet the needs of most demanding: snow, sports, events, shopping, nature, outdoor walks, folklore, everything by one and the magical reality. The success of Livigno is determined by an inseparable combination of nature and sport that makes the "Little Tibet" of Livigno the perfect blend of relaxation and dynamic, thanks to a perfect microclimate ensures abundant snowfall during the winter season and perfect snow from runways November to May. In summer the climate in Livigno is pleasantly ... read more>>
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Santa Caterina Valfurva lies in the basin that opens between Mount Tresero, extreme southern extension of the Ortles-Cevedale, and Confinale, mountain from which the eye can see an uninterrupted series of mountain peaks. The case of Santa Caterina Valfurva are close to each other, gathered in a picturesque alternation of wood and stone roofs, while the slopes around the town are covered by a dense forest of conifers. Santa Caterina Valfurva retains many examples of rural architecture, with buildings made entirely of wood dating from the sixteenth century and more recent realization ... read more>>
Valdidentro, four villages, Premadio, Pedenosso, Isolaccia, Semogo scattered between 1250 and 1500 mt. share the road that leads from Bormio to Livigno. Valdidentro, a territory dominated by the white snow of the glacier of perennial Cima Piazzi which contrasts with the clear blue sky and the underlying centuries-old green woods with its pine and fir trees framing the Stelvio National Park. Valdidentro, a valley rich in history, it was crossed by the Imperial Way wich linked the Dukedom of Milan and the Republic of Venice to Engadine and the north of the Alps. The valley has also deep-seated traditions .... read more>>
Summer skiing is a thrilling adventure, a dynamic experience, an ideal opportunity to refine your art on the skis in preparation for an outstanding performance on the winter slopes. In the paradise of summer skiing, you can watch World champion train or throw yourself into full-time sport. Before a breathtaking panorama, one of the most glorious of the Alps, you can learn the secrets of other sports on the great glaciers of Stelvio: expert trainers teach archery, mountain biking and spinning, or accompany trekkers on thrilling ezcursions at high altitude along routes full of relics from the First World War ... read more>>
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Skiing history
Skiing competitions with sporting connotations only began to be mentioned during the second half of the Nineteenth Century in Norway. Alpine skiing however, was a much more recent development, starting at around the beginning of the Twentieth Century.
In the old Norwegian language, the word "skid" means "covered with skin". People actually used sealskin or reindeer skin to prevent the boards that were being used as early "skis" from sliding backwards when they had to go uphill. There is also another possible origin to the word, wich is also Scandinavian: "Ski" actually means a piece of wood taken from the most seasoned part of the tree trunk, wich was then used for skis.
In some areas there it was the custom to use two boards of different lenghts. The shorter ski was used for the pushing movement and the longer one ensured a proper sliding movement was achieved. Those who used skis of the same lenght pushed themselves forwards using a stick or a lance, which eventually became useful ski poles.
Just like many other sporting disciplines, skiing has also passed through a military period during its evolution into its modern form. Norwegians in the 17^ century organised competitions aimed at training their young soldiers. The specialties obviously had a military leaning: rifle shooting at speed ( a forerunner of the biathlon), and the freestyle downhill competition, a cross country race that was attempted with a rucksack and bayonet.
The first non-military race was also held in Norway: King Harald was defeated by one of his warriors during a skiing challenge. Skiing in the modern sense of the word was first talked of only during the second half of the nineteenth Century: in 1860 the King of Norway again gave a cup as a prize for a race held in Oslo, whereas the discipline spread to the rest of Europe after this. There is a curious anecdote regarding the introduction of skiing to Italy: in 1897, on his return from one of his journeys, the engineer Adolf Kind, a Swiss businessman, brought an old model of a ski made of ash to turin. It is said that the people who saw Kind coming down the Bardonecchia slopes, red in the face and with a flowing white beard rippling out behind him in the wind, ran away terrified, shrieking: "The devil! The devil!".
Bormio to Stelvio Pass Distance
 | Bormio SO, Italy |
 | 1. | Head northwest on Via Alberti toward Via Castello | go 456 ft total 456 ft |
 | 2. | Turn right at Via Buon Consiglio | go 0.1 mi total 0.2 mi |
 | 3. | Slight left at Via San Francesco | go 495 ft total 0.3 mi |
| 4. | Turn right at Via Monte Braulio About 1 min | go 0.3 mi total 0.6 mi |
 | 5. | Turn left to stay on Via Monte Braulio | go 26 ft total 0.6 mi |
| 6. | Turn right at SS38/ About 1 min | go 0.4 mi total 1.0 mi |
 | 7. | Turn right to stay on SS38/ Continue to follow SS38 About 4 mins | go 2.5 mi total 3.5 mi |
| 8. | Turn right to stay on SS38 About 10 mins | go 7.7 mi total 11.3 mi |
| 9. | Turn right to stay on SS38 This road may be seasonally closed About 2 mins | go 1.3 mi total 12.6 mi |
 | 10. | Turn left to stay on SS38 This road may be seasonally closed About 1 min | go 0.6 mi total 13.2 mi |
| 11. | Turn right This road may be seasonally closed | go 0.1 mi total 13.3 mi |
| 12. | Turn right This road may be seasonally closed | go 112 ft total 13.3 mi |
 | Stelvio Pass, Italy |
The wonders of the Alta Valtellina - The magic of snow
A third new ski-lift, the Bormio-Bormio 2000 cablecar, was built last year and replaces the Bormio-Bormio 2000 cablecar, which was constructed in 1969. The Oga-Valdidentro district is the ideal place for those who want to ski without stress, down gentle slopes that are always well covered with snow. The maximum altitude is 2.625 metres with 10 ski-lifts and no less than 30 kilometres of ski slopes.
Santa Caterina Valfurva is the domain of competitive skiers, who are spoilt by the maniacal care lavished on the slopes, which are always in perfect condition with plenty of snow and are often enlivened by the presence of numerous Ski Clubs. The maximum difference in height is around 1.000 metres, from 2.725 to 1.740 metres; From 2004/2005 season, two new cabin-cars for eight will be serving the 40 kilometres of ski slopes connecting Santa Caterina Valfurva to the valle dell'Alpe at an altitude of 2.725 metres.
Livigno, which is reached via the S.S. 301 road, welcomes enthusiastic skiers with its slopes that face different directions, so that it is always possible to ski in the sun, even on the shortest days, from early morning until sundown. The ski-lifts are right up to date: 3 cablecars, 14 chair lifts, 16 ski-lifts, making a total of 33 lifts with an hourly capacity for 46.460 people; the overall difference in height is 1.200 metres (1.800-3000 metres). The 115 kilometres of ski slopes are suitable for skiers with very varied technical abilities and an extensive snow making system is available.
