5 Reasons Why You Should Visit Val Camonica, Brescia
Val Camonica is a picturesque valley located in the Brescia Province of Italy. The area is known for its archeological, natural and historical significance - for example - it was recognised as the first ever UNESCO World Heritage Site in Italy. Not only that, but it has unrivalled natural beauty, from the panoramic views of the Alps to the unique and rare flora and fauna that live in the area. Val Camonica is located just in the border between the Italian and Swiss Alps in the North of Italy and the Eastern side of Lombardy. The area is often underestimated, but here, we will present 5 Great reasons why you should visit Val Camonica and why more people should travel there!
Source: Wikipedia
Reason 1# - HISTORY
Did you know? Rock Carvings found in Val Camonica was the first area to be established as a UNESCO World Heritage site in Italy. This highlights how historically significant and unique the rock carvings are - and it truly is - there are about 300,000 petroglyphs that survived since the ancient Camuni or Camunni peoples carved it from thousands of years ago. The Rocks are recognised to be one of the most complex rock drawings in Europe, often depicting animals such as deers, elks and dogs. The art can be found in areas like Capo di Ponte, Nadro, Cimbergo, Paspardo and Darfo Boario Terme.
Image Source: Wikipedia (Luca Giarelli)
Reason #2 - Rare NATURE
Val Camonica is abundant with the most unique and rare flora and fauna, in the mountains in areas such as the Stelvio Nature Park where you can find chamois, ibexes, foxes, marmots and even golden eagles. In terms of flora, you can gaze at the evergreen-covered forests and even spot the glacial buttercups. Considering the area was only habitable 15,000 years ago thanks to the melting of the last ice age, it is now filled with natural beauty. Visit the Adamello Nature Park, Stelvio Nature Park or just go decide to go take a hike, you can easily spot these animals and plants. If you are looking to do foraging, you can even find the famous ‘Porcini’ mushrooms growing, they are a common ingredient in many delicious Italian cuisine.
Reason #3 - breathtaking alps
The pictures of the Alps look so grand, but you don’t know its true beauty unless you go there to see it for yourself. Val Camonica is located at the Alpine abundant area of Italy - at the border near Switzerland - so there is such a large mountain range to awe at. if you were staying at our hotel at Corteno Golgi, just walk out the balcony and you can already see the mountains in the distance. It is truly one of nature’s gifts. If you wish to look at even more Alps, near the valley there is the town of Tirano where you can take the Bernina Express to travel throughout Italy and Switzerland to see the Alps.
Image Source: TripSavvy
Reason #4 - Fun Outdoor Activities
Because of Val Camonica’s abundance of nature, there is also a lot of outdoor activities that you can do! From hiking, skiing, cycling and even mushroom picking. Every season, there are always activities that you can do, go to Aprica in the summer and you can go cycling, fishing and hiking and if you are going in the winter, go to Ponte Di Legno to do skiing. Val Camonica is truly the perfect place for outdoor enthusiasts who want to do fun outdoor activities within the beautiful valleys of the Italian Alps. In addition, skiing in the Alps are also considered to be far cheaper than doing it in the Swiss Alps! If you are interested, come read our blog post about Fun Summer Activities in the Italian Alps.
Reason #5 - Delicious Cuisine
Val Camonica and its surrounding areas have such fantastic, delicious cuisine. One notable type of food is Valtellina cuisine, it has alpine-inspired dishes and ingredients. For example, Pizzoccheri and Sciatt which both have the staple ingredient of buckwheat flour which creates a slightly darker colour. Many of the ingredients served in restaurants around the valley and the surrounding areas are locally sourced, so ingredients like Valtellina Casera cheese or the Porcini mushrooms that are naturally abundant in the Lombardy area of Italy. If you are curious, check out our blog post about Valtellina Cuisine.
Image Source: greenMe / Le Ricette Di Lara / We Are Italy
There are so many more reasons why you should go visit Val Camonica in the Brescia Province of Northern Italy! But these reasons were our main five. It really is a beautiful place to visit, if you are looking for an Italian retreat that is not full of tourists or with a busy city-life - Val Camonica is perfect. If you are staying in Val Camonica, why not consider staying in Albergo Miramonti, it is an alpine hotel that has a spa, cigar lounge and the most beautiful aesthetics - it is also near many of the attractions and activities in Val Camonica!
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