Refuges in Valsassina: the 5 best places to enjoy typical cuisine
15 aprile 2025 • 9 minutes read
Valsassina is a valley located in the Orobian Pre-Alps, northeast of Milan and is known for its natural beauty, with mountains, valleys, forests and lakes making it a popular destination for nature lovers, hiking and trekking.
In winter, Valsassina also becomes a destination for skiers and winter sports enthusiasts.
And it is during a hike, in summer as in winter, that you will have the opportunity to refresh yourself in one of the valley's many mountain huts, where you can enjoy good food in front of spectacular views and fill your heart with the proverbial hospitality of the mountains.
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1.Rifugio Buzzoni
The Buzzoni Refuge is located on the’Alpe Mota at 1590 meters above sea level, in a’rather isolated area that makes it reachable on foot only.
Starting from the Piani di Bobbio you will have to follow Sentiero 101 with a flat walk of about one’hour, or you can start from Barzio and follow Sentiero 19 from the bottom station of the gondola lift and with an 800-meter hike that takes about two and a half hours.
The Buzzoni hut offers typical mountain hospitality, simple and family-friendly, with a cuisine linked to the rhythm of the seasons. One example out of all are the risottos, which vary according to what ingredients are available depending on the season:
- radicchio risotto mantecato al taleggio
- risotto with porcini mushrooms
- risotto with sausage and taleggio
- risotto with nettles or cugoi mantecato al taleggio
The Rifugio Buzzoni offers the true mountain lodge experience to those who want to stop for the night: up to 25 people can stay in rooms that sleep 4 or 6 and in a dormitory that sleeps 15 and has a shared bathroom on the floor. An experience made up of sharing and a return to a simpler life.
Contacts: Info and reservations: 0341.981175 info@rifugiobuzzoni.it Google Maps: Rifugio Buzzoni
The Buzzoni Refuge and the stunning view of the surrounding mountains
2.Rifugio Riva
The Riva Refuge is located at’Alpe Piattedo, in the locality of Primaluna. The walk to get from the village to the hut takes about one hour and fifteen minutes with an elevation gain of 400 meters starting from Baledo, a hamlet of the municipality of Pasturo.
On the way you pass through the Piani di Nava, an area where you can admire the strong contrast between the colors of nature between meadows and pastures and the bare rock of the mountains. È the right place to stop and take some beautiful souvenir photos!
.The hut is located in a building that before the renovation was a typical barn with alpine pasture, where the people of Nava used to come to buy milk and fresh cheese. Today, the stall è has been converted into the dining room, the milk room houses the kitchen and cellar, and the rooms and bathroom are now in the part that was once used as a barn.
At Rifugio Riva you can enjoy typical Valsassina specialties, still prepared with cheeses and butter that come directly from the area's alpine pastures. You can eat either in the indoor dining room or on the outdoor tables where on fine days è it is pleasant to soak up the sun and breathe in the fresh air.
To make sure you find a place, our advice è to book your table beforehand, especially during the most touristy periods.
Contacts: Info and reservations: +39 328 71 15 705 Google Maps: Rifugio Riva
The Riva Refuge on a winter's day
3.Rifugio San Grato
The Rifugio San Grato è can also be reached by car and is known to be on a very easy route and therefore also suitable for day trips with children. It is located in Vendrogno, in upper Valsassina, and from its viewing terrace it offers a wonderful view of Lake Como.
The same terrace also overlooks a small playground where you can let the children run and play, perhaps keeping an eye on them from one of the lounger chairs that the lodge provides for its guests to complete the relaxation and fun offer.
The path to the refuge starts in the town of Vendrogno, just before the hamlet of Sanico, from a well-marked dirt parking lot where you can leave your car and enter a first section of forest. Once you have passed this first part, the rest of the route è on a wide, level path that will take you to the refuge in ten minutes. Follow the signs, you can't go wrong!
.The refuge offers menù tasting with typical Valsassina dishes to be enjoyed in the indoor room with wooden tables or on the large tables of the outdoor terrace.
You can choose the San Grato Refuge for a family lunch in a different location, or as a starting point for your excursions in Valsassina: in about an hour's walk you can reach the cross of’Alpe Camaggiore, which dominates the Lecco branch of Lake Como with its spectacular view of the town of Bellano.
Contacts: Info and reservations: +39 347 07 67 849 Google Maps: San Grato Refuge
The San Grato shelter with its outdoor tables and, on the right, the sunbathing area
4.Rifugio Ombrega
The Rifugio Ombrega is located at an altitude of 1580 meters in the upper Val Marcia, in Valsassina. To get there, your starting point will be the wonderful resort of Pian delle Betulle, often described as the'Ultimo Paradiso.
To reach the refuge, you have several options: you can follow on foot the trail that starts from Alpe di Paglio or take the funivia from Margno.
On arriving at Pian delle Betulle, simply follow the signs for the Oro and Ortighera Alps, continue along the trail to Lares Brusàa. After crossing the Alpe Dolcigo, you can't go wrong, at some point you will find yourself surrounded by goats if you choose the period of the alpine pasture, you will finally arrive at the Rifugio Ombrega.
From here, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of Premana. Although the trail is not particularly difficult è it is quite long and for fairly trained hikers è doable in two hours. If you are less trained, have small children with you, or simply want to stop and enjoy the scenery and views of the valley, the duration is further lengthened.
The mountain hut è has been completely renovated in the area that was once just an alpine pasture dedicated to cattle herding and now offers its visitors the traditional cuisine of the Valsassina, with dishes cooked strictly over an open fire, as was once done, and prepared with local and seasonal raw materials.
For lunch at Rifugio Ombrega, be guided by the mountain hut keeper and choose the dishes of the day, freshly prepared by his mother's skilled hands using fresh ingredients of the day.
A must-try è bagnarèl, a preparation made with grated seasoned ricotta cheese browned in malga butter and cream, used to season potato gnocchi or served with polenta.
Contacts: Info and reservations: +39 347 03 52 555 info@rifugioombrega.com Google Maps: Rifugio Ombrega
The Ombrega Refuge in what was once a mountain pasture hut
5.Rifugio Ratti Cassin
The Rifugio Ratti-Cassin is located on the Piani di Bobbio, not far from the cable car arrival station. It deserves special mention within this article because it’s not è what is expected when it comes to mountain hut.
The Rifugio Ratti-Cassin è has been completely renovated and now offers an experience to experience the mountains in style by providing its guests with:
- two dining rooms for a total of 90 seats where they welcome hikers who want to refresh themselves with tasty dishes in a mix of tradition and innovation
- a meeting room to host corporate events
- 17 bedrooms, each with its own private bathroom 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, steam room, relaxation area and massage area
Hiswood-floored terrace allows guests to enjoy a breathtaking view of the floors and the valley, and the benches carved directly inside large logs give that extra touch that makes guests breathe the mountain atmosphere in every corner.
The Rifugio Ratti-Cassin è located directly on the slopes, between the “blue” Fortino and Chiesetta, suitable even for inexperienced skiers, and canò be reached in about 20 minutes of walking from the arrival station of the cabinovia Bobbio, or by an easy hike of about 2 hours starting from Barzio and covering an elevation gain of 800 meters.
Contacts: Info and reservations: 0341 911 103 Google Maps: Rifugio Ratti Cassin
The Ratti Cassin refuge and, in the background, the arrival station of the Barzio - Piani di Bobbio gondola
Conclusion
The Valsassina refuges represent an extraordinary opportunity to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life without having to go too far. This region, so close to Milan, is a hidden treasure that offers a perfect getaway for anyone looking for some tranquility, good food, warm hospitality and close contact with nature.
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