The Piani di Bobbio is home to a ski area in Lombardy that, thanks to the gentle slope of its slopes and its relative proximity to the city of Milan, is a popular destination for novice skiers and there wants to enjoy a day in the snow, breathing in the fresh mountain air and getting away from the chaos of the city for a few hours.
Not just snow though, there are activities and excursions for all seasons at Piani di Bobbio, and after a day of sports and outdoor activities, what could be better than lunch at a mountain hut?
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1. Lecco Refuge
Rifugio Lecco is a small, family-run refuge. It is located along the S2 trail and along the Campelli red trail of medium difficulty.
To reach the refuge on foot from the Bobbio cable car, the hike is easy and takes about 40 minutes with an elevation gain of 250 meters. If you choose to hike during the winter season, be very careful of skiers and snowboarders because you will have to cross one of the slopes.
Starting from Piani di Artavaggio, on the other hand, the hike is definitely more complex, suitable for experienced hikers, and lasts three hours with an elevation gain of 250 meters.
Upon reaching the refuge, you will be rewarded with a priceless view of the entire valley and the small alpine lake that lies immediately next to the refuge. You can also choose to eat on the terrace overlooking the very pond and enjoy the view in all its glory.
The outdoor terrace of the Lecco hut on views of the valley
2. Stella Refuge
Rifugio Stella is a restaurant where you can refresh yourself after a hike or during a day of skiing and is also a small hotel nestled in the mountain surrounded by green meadows in the summer season and vast expanses of snow during the winter season.
It is located directly on the Baite slope, the terminal section of several trails for skiers from slopes of all levels, and along the S1 trail, a short distance from the arrival of the gondola from Barzio to the Piani di Bobbio.
The restaurant offers typical Valtellina cuisine, from appetizers to desserts, all cooked with fresh, local and seasonal ingredients. Not to be missed is the polenta with cheese, a specialty much appreciated by most customers.
The Stella refuge in the foreground and the Campelli refuge further back
3. Campelli refuge
Rifugio Campelli is located right on the end of the Baite slope, so much so that just a small detour and you can get to sit at the outside tables without even taking your skis or board off your boots.
The restaurant's menu is full of typical Valsassina and Valtellina specialties, giving guests a chance to savor authentic mountain flavors at a strategic point in the Piani di Bobbio ski area.
In addition to the restaurant, the Campelli hut allows guests to use the deck chairs for sunbathing and resting after a long day on the slopes and to stay overnight in its simply furnished dormitories, but in the full style of an authentic mountain hut
The Campelli refuge is open only during the winter season while the rest of the year its typical cuisine moves to Restaurant 2184 in Piani Resinelli.
The Campelli Refuge and, in the background, the Baite slope
4. Ratti Cassin Refuge
The Ratti-Cassin hut is much more than a typical mountain hut, it is an all-around experience taken care of in every detail.
The facility provides its guests with:
- two dining rooms for a total of 90 seats where it welcomes hikers who want to refresh themselves with tasty dishes in a mix of tradition and innovation
- a meeting room
- 17 rooms with bathrooms to accommodate guests who choose to stay overnight in summer and winter in this magical retreat surrounded by pine trees and meadows
- a spa center with sauna, Turkish bath, relaxation area and massage area
It is located within the bifurcation of the Fortino and Chiesetta slopes, both of which are easy and suitable even for inexperienced skiers, and can be reached in about a 20-minute walk from the Bobbio gondola arrival station, or by aneasy hike of about 2 hours starting from Barzio and covering an 800-meter elevation gain.
The Ratti Cassini refuge with its outdoor terrace and, in the background, the arrival station of the Bobbio gondola lift
5. Sora-Casari Refuge
The Sora-Casari hut is located in the center of the Piani di Bobbio ski area, overlooking the ski slopes and a short distance from the Ratti Cassin hut.
It is in a strategic location because it is only a 10-minute walk from the arrival of the Barzio-Piani di Bobbio gondola and is a perfect starting point for walks and hikes, including more challenging ones such as the Pesciola via ferrata and its continuation that leads up to Zuccone Campelli, at an elevation of 2,174 meters.
Inside the refuge you can visit a small polar-type museum commemorating the expedition to the North Pole with the airship Italia in which Gennaro Sora and Angelo Casari, to whom the refuge is dedicated, participated in 1928.
The specialties of the cuisine that you absolutely must try are polenta with braised meat, with mushrooms or with roast suckling pig, the latter of which is very popular with tourists, perhaps to be enjoyed on the panoramic terrace directly overlooking the slopes and the valley viewpoint.
The façade of the Sora Casari refuge, named after the Italian explorers at the North Pole
6. Buzzoni Refuge
The Buzzoni Ref uge is located at an altitude of 1590 meters, at Alpe Mota, in a more isolated area than the other refuges, but that is precisely why it often seems enveloped in a magical, almost fairy-tale-like atmosphere.
It can be reached only on foot, starting from the Piani di Bobbio following trail 101 with a flat walk of about an hour, or from Barzio following trail 19 from the bottom station of the gondola and a hike that climbs a height difference of 800 meters in about twoand a half hours.
The Buzzoni refuge offers typical mountain hospitality, dictated by simplicity and family management, and a cuisine that follows the flow of the seasons. One example above all are the risottos, which depending on the season and the cook vary such as:
- al radicchio mantecato al taleggio
- with porcini mushrooms
- with sausage and taleggio cheese
- with nettles or cugoi mantecato with taleggio cheese
For those who want to experience 100% of the mountain hut experience, the Buzzoni hut can accommodate up to 25 people for the night in rooms that sleep 4 or 6 and in a dormitory that sleeps 15 and has a shared bathroom on the floor. A return to the past to experience the mountains as they once were, in their purest essence.
The Buzzoni refuge where you can experience the true espeerience of mountain life.
7. Gran Baita Refuge
The Gran Baita mountain hut is one of the most popular shelters on the Piani di Bobbio since it can be easily reached on foot in about 20 minutes from the cable car arrival station and is a landmark in the summer, thanks to its strategic location for those who choose walks and hikes in the area and for those who want to test themselves with the climbing wall of Mount Campelli.
Even the winter season, the hut is a destination for many sportsmen who choose the Piani di Bobbio for their snow slides, on skis or snowboard, with the big advantage that it is located in the middle of the bifurcation of two easy level slopes, so it is easily accessible even to the less experienced.
The indoor dining room can accommodate up to 50 people, but if the day permits, our advice is to sit on the outdoor terrace that directly overlooks the slopes to enjoy the home cooking of hosts Giorgio and Katia.
Unmissable are the pizzoccheri prepared with typical Valsassina cheeses and the polenta with braised beef, ideal foods to replenish your energy after a summer walk or ski trip.
The Gran Baita refuge as seen from the slopes
The Map of Refuges at the Piani di Bobbio
Here is the map with all the shelters on the Piani di Bobbio and the trails to reach them
Conclusion
At Piani di Bobbio, the lodges offer experiences for all tastes: from the typical mountain lodge with seasonal cooking and shared dormitories to the fully renovated facility with a spa and conference room. Whether it's for a quick lunch between ski descents or to spend a weekend in nature, you'll be spoiled for choice.
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