Holiday apartment in Samolaco: Trails, Crotti and History

Samolaco combines historic trails, traditional village landscapes, church art and the distinctive tradition of the Crotti. If you choose a holiday apartment in Samolaco, you will have a starting point for many different kinds of holiday days: for exploring old buildings, walking through chestnut groves or taking excursions into the mountain areas of the Monti di Samolaco.

Culture and History in Samolaco

The Museo Etnografico Culumbée is also known as the Museo di Samolaco and displays numerous objects from the everyday life of the Samolaco community in past eras. In the Church of Sant’Andrea, the bell tower dates from 1735 and is approximately 30 metres high. Inside, the church preserves paintings attributed to the school of Ferrari, as well as a cycle dated 1632 depicting the martyrdom of Saint Andrew by Giovan Battista Macolino.

Paiedo also brings together different historical periods. The church dedicated to Saint Francis dates from the early 17th century. It contains a reliquary of Saint Placidus, donated in 1688 by emigrants living in Rome. The older buildings in the village are made of stone and have roofs made of piòte, as well as typical wooden external balconies known as lòbie. The Feast of Saint Placidus is celebrated in Paiedo in early May and in September with music, dancing and tastings of typical dishes.

Historic Trails for Active Exploration

Samolaco Cultura presents eight local routes, numbered from north to south, as well as the historic Via Francisca and Via Crucis trails. The historic trails of Samolaco have been restored and signposted. The Via Francisca leads from Chiavenna via Mese, Gordona and Samolaco to San Fedelino. It was mentioned under this name in 1335 in the Liber magnum of the statutes of Como; the route was probably already known in Roman times.

For a specific hike, the route from San Pietro via Ca Pipéta to the Torre di Segname has a stated walking time of 1 hour and 10 minutes, with an elevation gain of 400 metres. The Via Crucis S. Andrea begins in Era and leads through the old village centre of Cuéta, with its closely spaced houses. Running through chestnut woods, it crosses the historic Via Francisca behind Era’s old village centre.

Crotti, Landscape and Local Traditions

The Via dei Crotti follows a mule track through chestnut groves and some vineyards towards Monastero and Santa Teresa. The Crotti of Samolaco are natural cellars with very cool conditions and an almost constant temperature throughout the year. The tradition of the Crotti of San Pietro includes drinking wine together from terracotta jugs, along with alpine cheese and local salami. Traditionally, the entire population visited these Crotti on Easter Monday and on 29 June, the Feast of Saint Peter.

The mountain areas of the Monti di Samolaco are located in the Bassa Valchiavenna. There are also cycle paths and a network of trails leading to alpine valleys. The old village centre of Casenda has been well preserved in its traditional structure. This means that the options for planning your holiday range from historic village landscapes and culinary traditions to trails, cycle routes and mountain areas. Accommodation in Samolaco can therefore be selected according to the experiences you want to shape your stay.

Further Places for Your Planning

For additional ideas within the surrounding region, you can explore Albaredo Per San Marco, Cataeggio, Casacce, Grosio, Berbenno, Menarola, Dubino and Corna.

For the higher-level travel overview: Sondrio.