Sarnico-Colli S.Fermo-Lake Endine-Sarnico

This route by car, (also on bicycle for really fit persons) starts from Sarnico, (a historical centre intersected by narrow streets, rich in churches, the remains of medieval buildings and splendid liberty style villas).

We take the provincial road towards Bergamo to meet Villongo where, by taking the Adrara direction, we reach the ancient rural structure of Castel Merlo, in the S. Alessandro district, (a Romanesque church to S. Alessandro).

We now firstly reach Adrara San Martino, a rural centre with pre-historic origins of some importance in medieval times (castle remains on Ducone hill), and then by way of a road leaving the square to Adrara San Rocco, (a rural village with a sixteenth century parish church).

After this village, the road ascends towards the panoramic Colli di San Fermo - a favourite place for hang-gliding fans - but also one rich in the splendid blooms of narcissi and gentian.

In the direction of the slope opposite the hills we now descend to Grone, (a village with important buildings, rich portals and a Parish church standing on a panoramic spur overlooking Val Cavallina).

Four, tree-lined kilometres lead us to Casazza, an important centre structured in its various ancient districts, from where we reach Lake Endine, a small stretch of water and a paradise for anglers.

Now, we take the road to the right to reach Monasterolo del Castello (medieval alleys, the XVII century SS. Salvatore Church on the remains of an ancient monastery).

Continuing through some of the most impressive of landscapes we reach S. Felice al Lago an extremely gracious district of Endine, in whose territory we also find Piangaiano with the Gaiano lake.

Here a stop is a must to visit Valle del Freddo, perhaps the most interesting and singular natural phenomenon in the entire territory of Bergamo.

This is a depression, around 600 m. long in which plants and flowers typical of high mountains grow at a height of 360 m.: this is due to the particular structure of the subsurface in which large blocks of ice form during the winter.

In summer, air passing through these blocks comes out in a series of holes at a very low temperature and permits the flowering of vegetation typical of much colder climates (visits are permitted on Saturday and Sunday in the months of May, June, July).

After reaching the summer resort centres of Esmate and Solto Collina we descend towards Riva di Solto to refind the road skirting the lake as far as Sarnico.

• Length: 60 Km approx.
• Difficulty: quite difficult
• Height difference :800 m.
• Duration: 2 hours approx. by car - 4/5 hours approx. by bicycle