Livigno: just closer to nature!

The Stelvio National Park in the province of Sondrio occupies an area of just under 50,000 hectares belonging to six municipalities of the Alta Valtellina. It's in this area of the Park that the most impressive mountain ranges are located along the border of Trentino and the Adige valley . The Ortler group characterizes the landscape of most eastern areas, giving rise to the most impressive glacial landscapes of the entire Alpine Arch. The rocks in the southern areas are mainly metamorphic (phyllite in the Bormio), while the more northern districts are characterised by a massive calcareous sedimentary (mainly dolomite) making up the so-called inner Dolomites.

The fauna in the area is incredibly rich: deer and ibex are the two most representative ungulates, but let's not forget to mention the majestic bearded vulture, a large bird of prey that nests here in several couples. Catching a glimpse of the animals is not always easy, partly because they are afraid of man, but also because so many of them are nocturnal. But even when you don't see them, you'll be able to trace their footprints imprinted in the snow. And these tracks tell fascinating stories. Who has crossed our path? The fox or ermine? Where did the squirrel go? What was this little deer doing? The answers to these questions will be possible thanks to the help of an expert, who'll be able to help you out during a snowshoeing trip organized by the Park.

The Swiss National Reserve is a strictly protected environment, where plants and animals evolve of their own accord and where natural processes can play themselves out fully.

The protected reserve that was founded 100 years ago by the far-sighted pioneers has become a treasured biotope: the premier Swiss national reserve and the oldest in the Alps. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) awarded the Swiss National Reserve a ‘Category I’ rating (the highest level – [i.e.] a total protection area) thus placing it in the ‘champions league’ of nature reserves. But this high level of protection also comes with strict conditions. For example, visitors cannot leave the designated trails, nor may anyone pick flowers, cut lawns, disturb or injure any animals or cut down trees.

The natural environment must be completely left alone and cannot be modified or tampered with in any way by human intervention. This goes much further than just the protection of species: the whole environment and its natural processes are protected from any outside interventions and this also applies to fallen trees, avalanches and results of possible landslides. This holistic and single-minded philosophy was the fundamental guiding principle at the founding of the Swiss National Reserve on August 1, 1914, guaranteeing its future development.

Located in the hamlet of S. Antonio di Valfurva, the Visitor Centre of the Stelvio National Park aims to provide an overview of the natural and human aspects of the park divided into three main themes.

The three themes are spread throughout the exhibition spaces using information panels, exhibits and a variety of multimedia workstations. A section of the centre, arranged with illustrative panels and a reconstruction of a vultures nest is entirely dedicated to the great vulture with four pairs present in the territory of the park; the video terminal connected to a webcam points directly onto a nest, allowing you to see them in their natural habitat. The Visitor Centre offer is complemented by a screening room/conference that offers the necessary space for conducting educational workshops.

Granted UNESCO world-heritage status in 2008, the Bernina Express is one of the highest railways in the world, a true breath-taking Alpine experience.

This exciting journey starts in Tirano, at the Milan - St. Moritz railway line terminus. The BERNINA EXPRESS runs along a 70% incline up to an altitude of 2,253 m with views of the Morteratsch Glacier on the Bernina Massif. You can also reach the Glacier by cableway starting from the "Diavolezza" stop, which runs every 20-30 min).

The highest railroad

The Bernina Line is the only Swiss railway line to cross the Alps entirely out in the open! Completed in 1910, this magnificent railway line takes you from Tirano (429 m) across the glaciers up to the Bernina Pass (2,253 m). In just 22 km, the Bernina Line runs between Tirano and the Bernina Hospice with a cumulative altitude gain in excess of 1,824m on a 70% gradient, without the help of gear rack! Its route is especially striking, providing travellers with breath-taking views of the majestic mountains, glaciers, valleys and Alpine peaks while bridging great differences in altitude.

Unesco world heritage

An authentic feat of ingenious engineering across 61 km along the highest mountain in the Grisons range, the Bernina Railway was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 2008. Running throughout the year, the railway has enjoyed an uninterrupted series of successes.