ViaSpluga, Stage 4/4

Following the course of the Liro, through shady chestnut woods in the Val San Giacomo to Chiavenna with its southern ambience. Isolated pilgrimage churches of San Giacomo Filippo and Gallivaggio, Italian savoir vivre in Chiavenna’s vibrant Centro Storico.

The hike begins in Isola, already close to its highest point. After just a few minutes, the trail reaches around 1,270 m; from there, the route leads steadily down the valley. Crossing open meadows and pastures, the hiking trail descends towards Chiavenna in a long, mostly even descent. Although a few short uphill sections add up to around 190 metres of ascent, they barely affect the overall character of the 19-kilometre route.

Open countryside defines much of the hike, making the loss in elevation clearly perceptible. The route remains predominantly on the marked hiking trail network. In the final quarter, however, there is a section of around one and a half kilometres away from it before the route rejoins a hiking trail. After around five hours and a total descent of approximately 1,150 metres, the hike ends in Chiavenna.

Neither the start nor the finish is located directly at a public transport stop. The nearest stop to the starting point, Splügenpass, ital. Zoll, is around seven kilometres away; from Chiavenna, Castasegna, Vecchia Dogana is approximately eight and a half kilometres away. The outward and return journeys therefore require separate planning.