The best way to discover this special place is with our top 5: our selection of the best things to see, do, experience, discover, taste, try and explore in Bormio.
There is so much to do in Bormio that you won’t have time to get bored. The best way to discover this special place is with our top 5: our selection of the best things to see, do, experience, discover, taste, try and explore in Bormio. What are you waiting for? Find yourself a comfy chair and start reading; your journey starts here!
Skiing and snowboarding in Bormio and on the World Championships pistes
A winter holiday in Bormio is something you have to experience at least once in your life! The 3 ski areas – 1 unique pass formula is a multi-day pass which includes the ski areas of Bormio, Santa Caterina, Valfurva and Cima Piazzi-San Colombano. An area of stunning natural beauty and fantastic sporting opportunities, where you can enjoy the very best of the Stelvio National Park: the winter wonderland of Santa Caterina with its majestic mountain scenery; Bormio’s thrilling vertical drop – the longest skiable height difference in Italy from Bormio 3000 down to the town, for 1,800 m of pure fun; and the sunny, easy slopes of Cima Piazzi-San Colombano: perfect for families.
The Bormio ski area boasts not one but two world championship slopes! Bormio is home to the Stelvio piste, so prestigious it is known as the La Scala Opera House of Alpine skiing, where over the last 40 years some of the biggest events in skiing have been held. Santa Caterina boasts the Deborah Compagnoni piste, named after the champion skier who was born and raised here, created especially for the 2005 World Championships.
Info: bormio.eu
Thermal baths and wellness
A soak in Bormio’s thermal waters is the key to a relaxing holiday. Unwind in the hot springs (37-43°C), the curative properties of which have been well known since Roman times and written about by Leonardo da Vinci; ideal after a day outdoors. There are three thermal spas to suit all tastes.
Bormio Terme, in the centre of Bormio, is ideal for all the family. There are relaxation pools, like the new 25m Stelvio pool, a 60m waterslide, steam rooms, bio saunas, saunas and even a medical treatment centre affiliated with the Italian National Health Service.
At QC Terme Bagni di Bormio, which includes the Bagni Nuovi (new baths) and Bagni Vecchi (old baths), everyone can find their own way to relax and unwind.
At QC Terme Bagni Vecchi you can immerse yourself in history in the Roman baths, the ancient grottoes that lead to one of the nearby hot springs, and the panoramic open-air pool with sweeping views of the valley below.
At QC Terme Bagni Nuovi meanwhile, you can soak up the nineteenth century Liberty grandeur. There are four sections, each filled with natural scents, lights, images and colours. One of the highlights is a sauna lined with Swiss pine from the early 1800s.
Info: bormio.eu
Culture
The Bormio area boasts a rich and varied artistic and cultural heritage, dating back centuries. There are palazzos, towers, old farmhouses, churches, and fortifications, museums, including open-air sites from World War One.
The heart of the town is Piazza del Kuerc, where several monuments that are representative of the town can be found. To begin with, there is the civic tower with a large clock which has set the time for the local residents for centuries. Then there is the Kuerc itself, now a meeting point for tourists and locals alike. When Bormio was independent, the Kuerc was the place where justice was administered and decrees and sentences were posted on its pillars.
The square is connected to the district of Combo by the bridge of Combo (XVI century), one of the very few in the Valtellina having the form of an arc. In the Middle Ages, the bridge of Combo was the only crossing point in the town over the Frodolfo stream. And then there is the Salacrist Mill that dates back to before 1196, in which the hopper, grinders, wheel are still perfectly functional.
The main streets of the town can be explored one by one, leaving you in awe at the wealth of monuments, villas and decorative wrought iron gateways on display.
Info: bormio.eu
Sledging in Val di Rezzalo, a 3.5 km sledge run
The sledge run in Val di Rezzalo is a fun 3.5 km long slope. Prepare to spend a memorable day out with your friends, you’ll be grinning from ear to ear!
The Val di Rezzalo is one of the most beautiful valleys in the Bormio area and the Stelvio National Park.
The Val di Rezzalo sledging run starts from the San Bernardo plain. To get there you need to walk up alongside the 3.5 km sledge run. It’s a lovely, easy walk through the pine forest.
In around an hour and a half from the Fumero car park you will reach the San Bernardo plain with its pretty church. Get ready for an exhilarating experience that’ll make you feel like a kid again!
You can also go sledging at night! Eat dinner at the La Baita refuge and then hit the slope, down through the forest with just a headlamp and the glow of the moon to light the way.
Info: bormio.eu
Snowshoeing and fat biking in the Stelvio National Park
Explore the forests of the Stelvio National Park and surrounding valleys all covered in a thick blanket of snow: with fat bikes, mountain bikes for the snow or with snowshoes a regular walk becomes a voyage into a magical landscape that will enchant everyone. There are numerous signposted routes, with varying levels of difficulty. Many preserve historic elements that make Bormio so special for anyone looking for an authentic mountain experience. The mountain bike guides, alpine guides and local mountaineer Marco Confortola organise excursions during the day, at sunset and at night under the stars, when you can round it off with a delicious dinner at a mountain restaurant.
Info Snowshoeing: bormio.eu
Info Fat Biking: bormio.eu
