Via Bregaglia 1st stage: Maloja - Vicosoprano

The route Maloja - Casaccia, also called "Malögin", leads along the remains of the ancient Roman road. You walk past the church ruins of San Gaudenzio on the right side of the valley on to Casaccia.

Vicosoprano was the historic main town of the valley. Places of interest in the village are the church of San Cassiano built around the year 1000, the church of Santa Trinità - an early baroque building, the praetorium with the torture chamber, the Salis family tower and the old bridge over the Maira River. At the exit of the village in the direction of Borgonovo the two pillars of the gallows can be found.

From Maloja, at the information point, turn onto the road that leads to the nearby Belvedere Castle. From the lookout point, which is in front of the fortification, a path leads down, along the foot of the rocks on which the tower stands. Once on a marshy plateau, continue to the right along the watercourse and cross it. Descend the steep wooded slope below on a series of diagonals, and at the end of them cross the foaming torrent from the Val da Pila. Once you have crossed it, you continue down to the large plateau near the houses of Cavril, where you re-join the Maloja pass road. Stay on the footpath in the woods that runs parallel to the road and further ahead, around a ridge, leads to the remains of the ancient church of San Guadenzio. The path goes between the arches of the central nave and out to the main portal. Next, you cross a watercourse called "la Canaleta" and further on, on a well-notched footpath, the steep meadows above the houses of Casaccia.

At the Hotel Stampa, go over the bridge that crosses the Orlegna stream, then, through a splendid fir wood, the path continues on level ground until it reaches the beautiful buildings of Löbbia. Here the path climbs through the wood until the hamlet of Ca d'Faret, where the view opens down into the valley and up into the Murtaira gorge and the Albigna basin. For a short stretch, you follow the paved road, and then you turn onto the ancient path that crosses the main Bergell road and descends to the group of houses of Röivan. This stretch now leads through a charming forest; the Via Bregaglia crosses the road several times and you can admire the ancient cobblestones, which are in perfect condition. At Pranzaira you re-join the road and follow it towards the cable car station, near which you pick up the footpath again, which once more leads into the woods. At a junction with a small road you can turn right towards the medieval village of Vicosoprano - it is interesting to visit the Roman wall and the round tower - or continue straight on through the woods, then cross the Albigna stream on a bridge and enter Vicosoprano.