Val Camonica

Many times you have heard of Val Camonica, for naturalistic, holiday but also historical reasons. But it’s worth knowing it even more thoroughly.

This valley, located in the East of Lombardy, is one of the largest in the central Alps, as it lies between the provinces of Brescia and Bergamo.

From locals it is defined first of all as “territory of tales”. Yes, because for thousands of years populations have lived or wandered through this marvel of nature, leaving tangible signs of their presence or simple passage.

The origin of the name is traced back to the ancient name by which the local populations were called, that is “the Camunni”, who lived in the area in the Iron Age.

That’s why the Valley is famous for rock engravings – about 250 thousand! – declared Unesco World Heritage, making it one of the world’s largest petroglyphs collections worldwide, with well eight dedicated theme parks.

Enclosed between the mountains of Adamello in the East and the Orobic Alps in the West, the Val Camonica is surrounded by many side valleys: above all, the Corteno Valley, the Paisco Valley and the Saviore Valley.

The territory is divided into three main macro-areas: the Low Val Camonica, flat and rich in meadows and fields, the Mid Val Camonica, which extends from Breno to Sonico-Edolo, and the High Val Camonica, which essentially follows the Insubria line from the Corteno Valley to the municipality of Ponte di Legno.

Val Camonica is crossed by the fifth longest river in Italy: it is the river Oglio

Which is born at Ponte di Legno and flows into Iseo Lake.

Numerous are also the streams that descend from the mountains, for a spectacle in a class by itself.

Val Camonica rhymes mainly with nature, and therefore also with sports. Very popular are the walks and the excursions on the banks of Iseo Lake, but making a small ‘extension’ you can also go to the nearby Garda Lake.

In addition, in the Valley there are important ski areas, the Cycle Lane of Oglio River and numerous mountain biking trails, in a varied landscape, from the glacier to the lake, featuring a 55% protected area.

During the winter you can enjoy the numerous ski resorts located at Ponte di Legno, Borno and Montecampione.

Also important is the cultural and architectural part, such as the archaeological finds of Roman times at the village of Cividate Camuno and the various Romanesque and Renaissance churches where you can admire beautiful frescoes.

Val Camonica is also a land rich in History, the one with the capital S. Venice and Milan, which already understood the mix of potentiality and beauty, strongly contended this territory in the fifteenth century.

Furthermore, in 1915, Val Camonica became scene of the First World War, fought on the border line placed on Adamello.