773 - Via San Bernardino (4 tappe)

On the trail of the first carriageable alpine road in Graubünden, built between 1817 and 1823. Known since prehistoric times, the San Bernardino pass (until the fifteenth century Culmen de Oxello or, in some texts, Mons Avium) has made mesolcina a typical transit valley, open to cultural influences from the north and south, rich in historical and cultural testimonies and natural treasures. On mule tracks and historic paths you skirt and for short stretches you walk along the San Bernardino road, with its stone artifacts and imposing hairpin bends. Among vineyards and chestnut groves on the valley floor, peaks, lakes, peat bogs and natural beauty on the pass, you walk in contact with the treasures of human industriousness: ten millennia of archaeological evidence, towers and castles, including the fortress of Mesocco, Romanesque and Baroque churches, villages arranged on terraces or aligned along the way.

The San Bernardino route in four stages.

1. Stage San Vittore-Cama

From San Vittore, with the Rotonda di San Lucio, dating back to the Carolingian era, you can reach Roveredo by walking on the left bank; the two villages, which were the birthplace of several architects who established themselves in Germany in the Baroque era, are rich in historical monuments (churches, towers, palaces). Continue towards Grono, a typical village along the road dominated by the harmonious Fiorenzana Tower, and continue in the direction of Leggia and Cama. In addition to the ruins of the castle of Norantola, we find the typical grottos in Cama; Here, as elsewhere, you can taste local specialties, such as wine, cured meats and cheeses.

• 3h walk, 11.2 km, 97 m elevation gain.

2. Stage Cama-Soazza

The route winds through chestnut forests, meadows and floodplains: the villages of Sorte, Lostallo and Cabbiolo offer picturesque glimpses and prestigious churches. You enter Soazza, in a panoramic position on a terrace, along stretches of the old railway with viaducts and tunnels and a restored mule track of the eighteenth century.

• 3h45' walk, 14.3 km, 245 m elevation gain.

3. Stage Soazza-San Bernardino Village

Of the village of Soazza you can admire the harmonious urban composition, the Capuchin Hospice, the church of San Martino as well as several nineteenth-century buildings. An educational trail that starts from Soazza allows you to deal with the naturalistic, landscape and cultural aspects of the area, especially with chestnut farming. Our itinerary continues in the direction of the imposing ruins of the castle of Mesocco, a Renaissance fortress dismantled in the sixteenth century, and the church of Santa Maria del Castello, which houses an extraordinary cycle of frescoes from the 1400s. Mesocco, which in the past played an important role in the management of traffic through the S. Bernardino, has several interesting historical buildings; The first traces of human presence in the region date back almost 10,000 years. In Mesocco begins the properly alpine part of the route: the path climbs steeply towards Pian San Giacomo, skirting the old road paths several times. After Pian San Giacomo, the itinerary winds almost entirely along the ancient mule track or "strada francesca", through forests and pastures dominated by majestic peaks, to reach the enchanting basin of San Bernardino with the tourist village.

• 6h walk, 14.5 km, 1042 m elevation gain.

4. Stage San Bernardino Village-Hospice

San Bernardino is the main tourist destination of the Mesolcina, established in the nineteenth century for its healthy mountain climate and the healing virtues of its mineral water. The environmental peculiarities of the area, with pine forests, peat bogs, lakes and the various possibilities for recreation make it the ideal destination for those seeking tranquility and nature. From the village you go up to the pass (2065 m) where you will find the Hospice, built in 1824-25 on the shore of the lake from which the Moesa river originates. The path crosses the excellently restored carriage road several times; the remains of the mule track modernized in the eighteenth century are also clearly visible. On both streets you can admire the construction techniques and various artifacts. The area of the pass, wide and flat, is characterized by rounded reliefs, shaped by glaciers, which enclose numerous lakes and marshes of rare charm, an ideal habitat for a flora of great naturalistic interest.

• 2 hours of walking, 5 km, 457 m of elevation gain.