Via Priula and Passo San Marco

The Via Priula route starts from the town of Morbegno, where the two Alpine chains, the Rhaetian and Orobian Alps, form the Valtellina Valley.

On Via San Marco, at the first Via Priula waymarking sign, our journey begins. We climb steeply towards Albaredo San Marco on a steep ascent, with classic rounded stones underfoot and two large retaining walls on either side.

The path crosses the state road several times that runs from Morbegno towards San Marco Pass (1,991m) and traverses the entire Albaredo and Bitto Valley that we're entering.

Along the way, the views are enchanting and we can see all the valleys and the saddle of the Pass in a single glance.

We reach the central square of Albaredo, and among the many ancient murals adorning the village, we're immediately struck by the fresco depicting Albaredo on the Venetian lagoon and the statue of the Lion of St. Mark—elements testifying to the strong historical link with the Venetian Republic.

We pass Albaredo with another brief uphill stretch, followed by a slight descent where the paved Via Priula becomes a footpath. Along the Valle d'Orta, the path climbs again in our final ascent. We've nearly reached the pass, easily identifiable by the numerous electrical pylons crossing it, when small woodlands and lush vegetation give way to rockier, more open scenery.

At the summit, the view is enchanting and spans 360°: on one side the valley we've just traversed, with Albaredo and Morbegno and magnificent views of the Rhaetian Alps, on the other the Brembana Valley we must cross to reach our destination.

At the pass, it's possible to visit the First World War trenches along the Cadorna Path.

We descend along the Via Priula towards the Ca' San Marco just below us, passing the new San Marco 2000 refuge, and descending another 500m through a forest path to Mezzoldo.

From here the route becomes much easier. We alternate stretches of asphalt with footpaths and sections of the old road, pass through the villages of Olmo al Brembo and reach Piazza Brembana.

A town of about 1,300 inhabitants, it owes its name "Piazza" to the almost flat terrain on which it stands, and was chosen by the Venetian Republic as the commercial and administrative headquarters of the "Beyond the Goggia" department.

From here the route doesn't continue along the ancient Via Priula but rather along the more modern Ciclovia Valle Brembana, a 38 km route connecting Piazza Brembana with Bergamo.

The route follows various sections of the old Brembana Valley railway line, crossing several villages (Lenna, San Pellegrino Terme, San Giovanni Bianco and others), running alongside the river for long stretches and crossing bridges, tunnels and parks.

After skirting Città Alta through Porta San Lorenzo and various cycling and pedestrian paths through the city, you arrive in Bergamo, the destination of our historic-cultural journey.