Italy · Lombardia · Mountains and hiking
1258 metres in the upper Val Camonica, between the Adamello Ski pistes and the high valley paths
Ponte di Legno sits at 1258 metres, at the head of the Val Camonica, at the foot of the Adamello. It is a ski resort that never stopped being a village: in winter it leans on the hundred and more kilometres of Adamello Ski, in summer it returns to its paths and its pastures. For anyone travelling by motorhome two things matter: the service areas are minutes from the centre, and you reach the lifts by shuttle rather than by driving.
Sleeping
Three service areas, very different from each other: one on the Passo Gavia road, close to the centre, one set apart towards the Parco degli Orsi, the third up at the Passo del Tonale, at the far end of the ski area. Plus the supermarket car park, which has no services at all but is free and in the centre.
Via Statale del Passo Gavia, 25056 Ponte di Legno (BS)
the handiest place for the old centre and for the lifts, and the terminus of the Skybus. In the winter high season the places go early. It is about twenty minutes on foot from the centre.
Via Parco degli Orsi, Ponte di Legno (BS)
a quieter spot, with a view over the valley. Next to it are the Cinema Alpi and the ice rink. It is about three kilometres from the centre, so it suits those looking for quiet more than those who want to walk into the village. Here too the tariff has to be asked on the spot.
Via Nazionale 2/B, Passo del Tonale, 38029 Vermiglio (TN)
it stands up at the Passo del Tonale, in the commune of Vermiglio and so already in Trentino, at the far end of the Ponte di Legno-Tonale ski area: from the centre of Ponte di Legno it is a dozen kilometres of main road, a quarter of an hour by vehicle. You arrive and take a place, the pitch cannot be booked, and caravans are not admitted. The electricity posts give 1200 W, enough for lights and little else.
26 pitches in the fenced inner area, plus 10 in a free parking area next to it
Via Nazionale, 25056 Ponte di Legno (BS)
the cheap answer for a short or daytime stop, in the centre opposite the lifts. Free and with nothing at all: no filling, no emptying and no bays for long vehicles, so you park among the cars and watch your size. About sleeping we do not know: ask on the spot before settling in for the night.
no bays set aside for motorhomes
Getting around
Seeing
Four stops: the bridge the village is named after and the old centre are walked, the lifts are reached by shuttle and Case di Viso lies up in the high valley. Tap a marker on the map to open its entry below.
Monument · free entry · 46.26094, 10.51028
the covered wooden footbridge over the stream, with its shingle roof and the crossed beams of the parapet, is the sign the village takes its name from. It stands in the heart of the centre, among the houses and the terraces, and beneath it runs the white water coming down the valley.
Village · free entry · 46.26039, 10.50967
the traditional wood and stone houses of the valley, the church and the alpine building of the village, all within a few minutes on foot. The walk is worth taking without a destination: local people are welcoming and glad to talk about their mountains.
Point of interest · paid entry · 46.25446, 10.50834
more than 100 km of pistes for every level, from beginner to expert, served by modern lifts and facing the peaks of the Adamello. The season runs from November to March. It is reached from the centre by Skybus, and there are ski schools in the village.
Village · free entry · 46.29955, 10.54962
a small cluster of stone huts up the valley, at 1753 metres, and the starting point of the paths of the area: the signs point to the Laghi di Ercavallo, the Passo delle Graole, the Rifugio Bozzi, the Forcellina di Montozzo, the Passo dei Contrabbandieri, the picnic area of Pra del Rum and the Malga Forgnuncolo, with walking times from half an hour to six hours. On one wall hangs the village's joke weather station, a wooden barometer with a rope.
When
international alpine skiing races, with athletes and spectators from all over Europe.
a programme on trekking, mountaineering and mountain traditions, with talks, workshops and free guided walks.
music, local food and shows around the village.
a cycling gran fondo up the Gavia climb, open also to those who are not riding against the clock.
Remember
Ponte di Legno · part two
and then?
What to taste, and where to go tomorrow.
The most typical dish, to cook again at home.
Looking
24 shots from our visit. Tap one to see it large.