Discover Branzi: Mountain Trails, Cheese and Local History

Branzi between mountain trails and local history

Branzi is a mountain village where alpine trails, winter sports activities, historic buildings and an established cheese-making tradition come together. This gives you a varied impression of the village: you can explore its landscape and local history through specific trails, bridges, churches and a museum, while also getting to know Branzi cheese as a culinary point of reference.

Trails and viewpoints

For hiking enthusiasts, two routes with clearly different starting points and itineraries take centre stage. Gli alpeggi dei Laghi Gemelli starts in the Cagnoli district and follows trail marker 212 towards Lago delle Casere. The route ends at Rifugio CAI Laghi Gemelli; from Cagnoli, the walk takes approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes. Contrade Branzi on the other hand, leads from San Rocco along CAI trail 117 towards the hamlet of Belfiore and reaches Cornello. There, a natural panoramic balcony opens up views of the Branzi waterfall and the entire village.

Winter and waterfall

In the Cagnoli district on the outskirts of Branzi, there are three approved cross-country ski runs covering a total distance of 7 km: one intermediate and two difficult. The loops are 3.5 km and 5 km long. The distances and difficulty levels provide you with clear guidance when making your choice. Another landscape feature is La Borleggia: the waterfall near the mountain village of Branzi can already be seen from the village and reached via a short path to its foot.

Bridge, museum and churches

The Ponte romano is located in the historic centre, in the Carbunì area. It has been restored and is still in use. The Museo delle cave “Le piodere” di Branzi offers another way of exploring the local past: a photographic exhibition recalls the work of the “pioder”, a historical short film is entitled “La pietra nera”, and historic tools, together with a reconstruction of working conditions at the time, complete the museum.

The Chiesa di San Sebastiano stands in Cagnoli. It is dated to the 15th–16th century; its completion is associated both with the year 1575 and with the 17th century. The Chiesa di San Pantaleone in Branzi was built in 1690. In this way, different historical points of reference come together in the village – from the bridge that is still in use to the two churches.

Cheese and history

Branzi also has a concrete culinary identity. The traditional production of Branzi cheese originated in Branzi. The cheese is made from full-fat raw cow’s milk, at least 90% of which comes from Bruna Alpina cattle. It is a semi-matured table cheese and usually matures for more than 60 days. It is used in many dishes of the traditional cuisine of the Bergamo area. Historically, Branzi was an important centre for the exchange of milk and cheese; at the end of the alpine pasture season, corresponding trade took place during the Fiera di San Matteo.

When choosing accommodation in Branzi, you can give different interests greater weight: the route from Cagnoli, the Cornello panoramic balcony, the cross-country ski runs in the district or the village’s architectural and cheese-making history.

More destinations

You can discover more destinations via Nembro, Clanezzo, Costa Di Mezzate, Almenno San Bartolomeo, Bagnatica, Cavaglià, Monasterolo del Castello and Averara.

For the higher-level travel overview: Bergamo.