Rasura: Alpe Culino, cultural trails and Bitto DOP

Rasura brings together alpine landscapes and traces of local history. Alpe Culino, hiking trails and cultural sites offer a range of experiences. If you are looking for a hotel in Rasura, you can plan your stay around whether you are most interested in mountain scenery and high-altitude trails or in history and local production.

Alpe Culino: forests, meadows and views

The state-owned Foresta Demaniale dell’Alpe Culino covers 311 hectares, lies within the municipality of Rasura and extends down from Monte Rosetta at an altitude of 2,357 metres. At Alpe Culino, alpine meadows at mid and high elevations meet wooded areas. Views include the valley floor of Morbegno, the Costiera dei Cech and the mountain group of the Val Masino valley. Forests, mountain pastures and these named viewpoints give the area a variety of landscape features.

Alpe Culino is one of ERSAF’s most important mountain pastures for producing Bitto DOP. For 2024, direct sales of Bitto DOP, ricotta and goat’s cheese at Bar Bianco are described. Both cheese production and the listed products are therefore part of the pasture’s local identity; the sales period specifically refers to 2024.

Access and trails in Val Gerola

The drive to Alpe Culino goes from Morbegno through Val Gerola to Rasura, then continues onward. The route is about six kilometres long; the final two kilometres are on an unpaved road. If you plan to drive this section, check the conditions before setting out.

In the Alpe Culino area, a hiking trail starts at Bar Bianco, at an altitude of 1,506 metres. Possible destinations are Baita dei Vèn at 1,801 metres, Lago Culino at 1,959 metres or Cima della Rosetta at 2,142 metres. The three destinations differ in elevation, while their shared starting point is considerably lower. You can compare them by their respective elevations without assuming a walking time that has not been specified.

Another option is the ancient Valgerola road, which is still marked. It passes through Campione, Sacco and Rasura; allow about two hours to walk it. The “Dal Pizzo dei Tre Signori alla Valtellina” trekking route also runs below the parish church of San Giacomo in Rasura. After a short descent, the Mulino del Dosso can be seen on the right; it is now called the Museo Etnografico Vanseraf.

Church, museum and crafts

The parish church of Rasura is dedicated to Saint James the Greater. It was built in 1634 on the remains of an older church dating from the 14th century. Its history therefore spans two periods: the 17th-century church and the older building on whose remains it was constructed.

The Vanseraf ethnographic museum is housed in the Mulino del Dosso. The Museo Vanseraf was built in 1836 by Giacomo Pezzini of Rasura. It offers an insight into the history of Valtellina and the lives of its people. Rasura is also one of the traditional centres of Valtellina Pezzotti production.

The Museo della montagna is located in the Polifunzionale di Rasura. Summer opening hours for museums in Valgerola have some exceptions: the Museo etnografico in Rasura and the Museo della montagna in the Polifunzionale di Rasura are currently inaccessible. Seasonal opening hours may change, so check access before making plans.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Aprica, Corna, Caiolo, Tresenda, Gordona, Pedenosso Valdidentro, Campodolcino, Dubino

For the main travel overview: Sondrio.