With it's lofty location on the Vivione Pass, over 1800m up in the Italian Alps in Lombardy, the Rifugio Passo del Vivione isn't a hotel that the casual traveller will stumble across by accident, but for those in the know, this welcoming guest house is a great place to explore the spectacular Bergamasque Alps (or in Italian, Prealpi Orobie).
The Rifugio itself has room for twenty guests in rooms of between two and four beds, all with full linen service, and dining facilities including breakfast and light snacks throughout the day plus meals of delicious local produce in the evenings.
One of the main reasons to visit this hospitable establishment is the stunning scenery that surrounds it, not least in the Orobie National Park. This park is a mountain paradise of 3000m peaks, rolling alpine pastures, forests and trails, all dotted with farms and picturesque villages. The unspoilt area is excellent for lovers of nature, as it's home to wild ibex, roe deer and chamois, while eagles, hawks, and other impressive birds of prey are a common sight. Small mammals also abound, with the chance to see white hares, martens, foxes and squirrels among many more. The Orobie is also rich in vegetation, with extensive beech, birch and conifer forests, and the high pastures feature an astounding variety of wild alpine flowers to delight the eye.
A particularly impressive sight occurs in late June when the copious rhododendrons turn whole swathes of the mountainsides purple and pink. The Orobie park is a sensational experience for anyone with an interest in flora and fauna, and the Rifugio Passo del Vivione makes a great base to take in all that the area has to offer.
For further informations: www.passodelvivione.it