The town of Klausen, known as Chiusa in Italian, lies at the bottom of a river valley. The Eisack River runs from near the Austrian border to Bozen, where it joins the Etsch River. During its southward flow, it runs along the west bank of Klausen, surrounded by some of the most impressive Dolomite peaks in this area. But, key in this description is the “bottom of the Eisack river valley.” Therefore, most hikes in this area will experience some serious ascents at some point.
Trail Name: Saebener Rundweg
Trail Type: Very short-distance circuit; well-maintained with hard (paved or packed earth) surfaces, with some cobblestones; mostly good marking for this itinerary.
Length:
Total – 3.0 kilometers/miles
Convenient to: Bozen (Bolzano), Brixen (Bressanone), Italy
Marking:
White over red horizontal bars
Follows written signs for “Keschtnweg” and Saebener Rundweg
What I Learned
While the Valtellina wine region is not the northernmost wine producing area in Italy, its grapes grow at altitudes of over 760 meters (2500 feet). The terrain here is dominated by mountains: rocky, incredibly steep, subject to sudden changes in weather from the north.
The classification system in Valtellina, like the appellation controlee system in France, is based on geography. In Valtellina, there are five recognized areas of cultivation of the Chiavennasca grape (known as Nebbiolo in the Piedmont). These five areas are distinct micro zones of terroirs and traditions, each with its own history, and each with its own Chiavennasca wine. Visiting each area, and sampling their wines, provides an excellent opportunity to explore the different expressions of Chiavennasca as vinified in Valtellina.
Trail Name: Via dei Terrazzamenti
Trail Type: Long distance; well-maintained, with a hard-packed, but occasionally uneven surface throughout, usually there is good marking on the trail, but it tends to disappear in villages and towns.
Length:
Total: 70 kilometers/43 miles (Morbegno – Tirano)
Mine: 14 kilometers/8.5 miles (Chiuro – Ponchiera)
Convenient to: Sondrio, or Tirano, Lombardy, Italy
Marking:
Words “Via dei Terrazzamenti” on a white background with a four-leafed clover design inside; sometimes associated with a metal yellow arrow.
White over red horizontal bars indicate a hiking trail generically
Note: The photo below shows all of the above, with the addition of an extra sign on the yellow arrow, (with a number thirty), indicating a different trail as well.
I immediately resolved to visit the village of Vignale Monferrato, and wander its vineyards, on my premier trip to the Monferrato district in northern Italy. I first saw the vineyards and the village while hiking in 2016 through the Malvasia vines of nearby Casorzo. Rounding a prominence, I spied distant vineyards circling a steep hill capped by a compact village. Capping the village itself is an impressive parish church, with the most expansive view imaginable of the Monferrato from its side-yard.
It took a while, but I finally got there in late May of 2019. (Little did I know then that I would not return to Italy for a little over two years now.) But the wait then was worth it, as the experience of the village and the hike was fantastic. The food and wine were outstanding of course, this being the Piedmont.
Trail Name: Tra Valli e Cascine (AKA Sentiero 732)
Trail Type: short-distance hiking circuit; marking on the trail is fairly good, and consistent; once out of town, the trail surface is mostly gravel over hard packed earth, with a grassy stretch for about two kilometers/a bit over a mile.
Length:
Total – 9.7 kilometers/6 miles
Convenient to: Casale Monferrato, Alessandria, Piedmont, Italy
Marking:
Trail signage: Vertical red-white-red bars imprinted with the number 732 in black; alternatively, trail markers are red and white horizontal bars.
Trail Signage photos: See featured photo above, and trail marking photo below:
