Chiavenna, in the Province of Sondrio, Italy is a beautiful town high above the Como Lake and is surrounded by very high snow capped mountains.
When we saw this place for the first time in the summer, to be exact the 2nd of August 2011, we were stunned by the beauty of the majestic mountains surrounding the town. Every time we went for a walk we took some time just standing still and looking up at the high mountains and at night you could see the tiny lights of the cars going up the winding road. One day we stopped by the little stream, took our shoes off and put our tired feet into the stream. Yikes! The water was ice cold, we immediately forgot our feet were tired and sore. Quite refreshing.
Along the path there are many little cottages, some built right into the mountain.
On one of our walks we stopped by one of the cottages with a broken window, the air that came out of that window was ice cold, this room turned out to be some kind of storeroom. There are many “crotti” which are cave like places in which they have restaurants where one can eat typical local dishes.
We took a bus trip from Chiavenna over the Splugen Pass into Switzerland and were once again stunned by the breathtaking views of the snow capped mountains, the winding road and the little villages and houses dotted around. It was rather hair raising traveling on that narrow road in a huge bus. The bus drivers are highly skilled and have to be very careful when going round those hairpin bends. My heart skipped a beat quite a few times when we had to stop on the weirdest places for the other cars to pass. We were sad to return to our village after our 3 days in this lovely place and promised ourselves a return trip.
We returned to Chiavenna on the 22nd of December 2012, this time it was winter, the mountains and valleys covered in snow. It was breath taking and again we stood in awe of the great mountains. We took another walk along the path next to the stream. It was spectacular.
There was a Christmas market in the various squares around the town, there was a very nice atmosphere. We bought some bread, cheese and sausages and had ourselves a delicious dinner in our little flat. After dinner we went for another walk around the town and we stumbled upon a fruit and veggie store built directly against the mountain wall. Loved it!
Going home to our village in Piemonte wasn’t easy but we’ll go back to Chiavenna sooner or later. This time for a little bit longer than two or three days. One shouldn’t get bored there, even if you’re not a mountian and hiking person, the beauty of the place makes up for anything you think you might miss. Take a book, magazine or your mp3 and sit next to the stream and enjoy the peace and quiet or in winter have a cuppa in the many bars to drive away the cold. There are numerous hiking trails to explore in summer and in winter it is paradise for those who like to ski, because of being close to some well known ski resorts such as Madessimo and not too far from St Moritz.
About Martie
I got my inspiration for this website from the song called “Imagine”, and so I decided to go on this adventure. I have always wanted to put up something like this where my friends and I could express our memories and dreams for the future. Share them with us, because if many people dream the same dream it will certainly come true.
I still have to get my breath back, those peaks are really high! I can’t imagine how people can live in such cold places, just think that most of us from S.A. don’t even know how to ski! To tell the truth we have seen many people skiing, but not on snow, but on water pulled by elegant speed boats. Keep your stories rolling in!!