Loop in the Giant's Kettles nature reserve

The ideal starting point is piazza Castello, in Chiavenna; take via Maurizio Quadrio and before reaching the bridge over the Mera, turn right onto via Poiatengo. On this scenic path along the river, woods, and cliffs, you arrive at Prosto di Piuro, where the many crotti, the church dedicated to the Assumption, and a soapstone craft workshop are worth a visit. From the church's left square, a steep stepped path leads into the beautiful woods, where you encounter the earliest evidence of ancient soapstone extraction activity: the oldest quarries, still open to the sky here. Higher up, on the glacier-smoothed rocks, prehistoric carvings are astonishing. Upon reaching the Capiola Pass (489 m a.s.l.), the descent to Chiavenna offers two routes: the easier left one through a small hollow across splendid clearings, or the right one, where by climbing the Dragon Rock (520 m a.s.l.), you can admire more closely those glacial erosion phenomena that give the nature reserve its name. The detailed description of the main points of interest is entrusted to the numerous information panels along the routes.

By Valtellina Bresaola Protection Consortium