Rifugio Bignami
Nestled on a hilltop near Lanzada in Valmalenco, the refuge is a stop-off point on the Alta Via trail and offers breathtaking views of the Bernina mountain range.
About Rifugio Bignami
Built in 1955–56, the refuge was donated to its current owner, the Milan section of the Italian Alpine Club (CAI), by Clementina Agretti-Bignami in memory of her son, section board member Roberto Bignami, who lost his life on the 1954 Italian expedition to Api (7,120 m) in the Garhwal Himalayas.
About us
Refuge manager Giovanni Tavernaro and his wife Francesca have been running the Rifugio Bignami since 2021. Originally from San Martino di Castrozza in Trentino, they ran the Malga Civertaghe refuge there for many years. One of the oldest in the region, it was founded by Giovanni’s grandfather (and namesake) in 1905.
Alongside Giovanni and Francesca, you’ll receive a warm welcome from their Maremma Sheepdogs Belt, Bea and Hoffer; Maine Coon cats Afrodite, Stracciatella, Spritz and Hermes; as well as the hens and their chicks.
Opening
We’re open at weekends from 25th April to 30th November, and every day from 15th June to 15th September.
Location
Province: Sondrio
Municipality: Lanzada
Location: Alpe Fellaria
Hospitality
Half board accommodation (overnight stay + breakfast and dinner – drinks not included):
Adults = € 69 per person
Children aged 7–11 = € 55 per person
Children aged 5–6 = € 52 per person
Children aged 3–4 = € 32.50 per person
Children up to the age of 2 = free
CAI members = € 59 per person
CAI members under 25 = € 52 per person
*A booking deposit of € 20 per person is required, valid until 30th October 2024, when the refuge will close for the season.
Useful information
- Cancellations due to personal reasons or bad weather must be made with at least 48 hours’ notice.
- Dinner at the refuge is served at 7.00pm. Lights out is at 10.00pm so that visiting hikers and mountaineers can get some rest.
- Our menu offers a range of traditional mountain fare from Valtellina and Trentino, as well as Francesca’s delicious home-made cakes and pastries.
- We are open for lunch from 11.00am to 4.00pm every day, Walk-ins only, no reservations.
- Please note that there is no mobile phone signal or internet coverage in the Fellaria area.
- Please bring cash with you in case the satellite connection for the card reader is not working.
How to get here
From Campo Moro
Time: 1 h 30
Elevation gain: 431 m
Difficulty level: hikers
From Rifugio Marinelli via Forcella di Fellaria
Time: 4 h 30
Difficulty level: expert hikers
What to see and do
From the refuge, you can take the Luigi Marson glacier trail to explore the Fellaria glacier. One of the largest in the Central Italian Alps, it has split into two halves to the east and west, recently forming a glacial lake in the middle. The tiny ice floes that make it so unique have earned it the nickname ‘mini Perito Moreno’, after the famous Argentine glacier. A different route down takes you back to the car park, completing a loop around Lake Gera. There is also a short climbing route on the crag directly below the refuge.
A pochi minuti dal Rifugio si trova l’alpe Fellaria, che è l’alpeggio più alto d’Europa (2400 m) gestito dalla famiglia Rossi. Il loro alpeggio è aperto da fine giugno ai primi di settembre, qui troverete formaggio di mucca e di capra oltre che burro d’alpeggio. Nell’area circostante al rifugio si trovano altri due alpeggi: l’alpe Gembre e l’alpe Valposchiavina.
