If you need an Alpine Escape from Milan, Val di Mello is a pretty unique place! It's a valley in
the north of Italy, just a couple of hours away from Milan, where the rock rises like a cathedral. There are no roads into the heart of the valley, only trails. In 2009 it was designated a protected Natural Reserve, the largest in Lombardy, recognising both its rare natural beauty and the need to keep it that way. The valley was shaped by ancient glaciers, which left behind its most striking feature: immense walls and domes of pale, compact granite, polished smooth and rising hundreds of metres straight from the valley floor. Climbers from all over the world know it. Most travellers have never heard of it and this is a plus: Enjoy a gem near Milan, before the World will discover it. People call it the Italian Yosemite and it's not a joke. If you are in Milan and you want to experience the Alps this is a very nice shot you have. Come with Trekking Alps and enjoy the beauty and the wilderness of Val di Mello guided by a
AMM Uimla guide. Milan is a beautiful city if you like fashion and cars... But if you like Nature and you need a Milan Escape, a 2 days hike in Val di Mello is what you need!
Weekend Hike from Milan: Val di Mello
Alpine Escape from Milan DAY 1 - — Walking into the valley Arrival in Morbegno & transfer to San Martino. The weekend begins in Morbegno, the valley town easily reached by train. I'll be waiting for you at the station and we'll drive up together into Val Masino, watching the landscape grow wilder with every bend in the road, as far as San Martino, the last village before the trail begins. The walk to Rifugio Luna Nascente. This first stretch is the valley's gentle welcome. The path runs largely flat along the floor of Val di Mello, the river always within earshot, granite domes rising higher with every step. Waterfalls spill down the granite on either side, filling the air with sound and cool spray. The Mello stream gathers here and there into clear alpine pools: turquoise, ice-bright and, for the bold, perfectly swimmable. And along the way, traditional mountain huts and farms open their doors to walkers, offering local cheeses to taste! Evening at the rifugio. We arrive at Rifugio Luna Nascente, "Rising Moon", and settle in. A hearty mountain dinner, conversation with fellow walkers, and then the reward only a place this remote can give: a sky utterly black, spilling over with stars. Lights out early. Tomorrow we’re hiking deeper into the valley!
Alpine Escape from Milan DAY 2 — Up to the Pioda Mountain breakfast. We rise with the valley and eat well, the kind of breakfast a day on the trail deserves. The ascent to the Pioda. Today the valley shows its other face. The trail tilts upward, leaving the soft valley floor behind and climbing toward the Pioda. Every metre of height is paid back in view: the whole of Val di Mello opening beneath you, ringed by its amphitheatre of peaks, the granite walls now at eye level rather than overhead. This is the moment the weekend has been building toward, the high, quiet point where the valley reveals its full scale. The return to San Martino. We descend the way the valley releases you slowly, back through the woods, back along the river, back to San Martino. The weekend ends here: legs tired in the best possible way, mind clear, and a small certainty already forming that you'll come back.
GOOD TO KNOW FOR THE WEEKEND MILAN ESCAPE This Milan Escape weekend (or 2 days hike in the weekdays, if you prefer) suits anyone with a basic level of fitness and a genuine love for the outdoors. No technical skills required, just a willingness to walk and to unplug. Bring sturdy hiking boots, layered clothing for changeable mountain weather, a daypack, water and sun protection. The overnight stay is at Rifugio Luna Nascente, a comfortable mountain refuge with private rooms and en-suite bathrooms: the wild valley by day, a proper rest by night. As usual if you want to tailor made this hike for example adding days or making this harder, just contact us and we will be easily adapt this Hike near Milan to your need. You will be in contact with the guide and receive a costomized service at afforsable price. This is Trekking Alps!
