Soglio and the chestnut woods: the Bregaglia balcony facing the Badile

Giovanni Segantini called it the threshold of paradise, and Soglio earns it: a stone village hung on the sunny side of the Bregaglia, palms in the Salis gardens and, opposite, the spires of Pizzo Badile and the Sciora. Below the village lies the largest chestnut wood in Europe.

The route

From Castasegna, the last Swiss village before Chiavenna, we climb into the Brentan chestnut wood, among three-hundred-year-old trees still tended as they were two centuries ago, up to Soglio.

From Soglio we take a stretch of the Panoramic Trail towards Tombal, valley below and Badile in front, and return on the meadow mule track.

Who it's for

• anyone who wants big alpine scenery without going high
• October walkers: this is chestnut season and the light is exactly right
• anyone who loves stone villages and the families who shaped a valley

Good to know

In October the chestnuts are being harvested in the woods: we stay on the paths and leave the crop alone, it belongs to someone. Soglio has two historic hotels for lunch (not included). The Castasegna crossing is a small one and the queue by car at weekends can reach twenty minutes.

You are crossing into Switzerland

A valid ID in your pocket, not in your rucksack: Switzerland is not in the European Union and border checks do happen.

Mountain rescue is charged for: in Switzerland the helicopter is billed to the person who calls it. Guiddy accident insurance is included, but a Rega card (about €40 a year) or a policy covering rescue costs in Switzerland is what we suggest to everyone.

Swiss francs: huts and cable cars almost always take cards, but a few valley huts are still cash only. The European health card is valid in Switzerland for emergency care.

If your dog comes along: Switzerland requires a microchip, an EU pet passport and a valid rabies vaccination, given at least 21 days beforehand. Without them the dog is turned back at the border.

Getting there

The Valchiavenna road to Chiavenna, then Villa di Chiavenna and the Castasegna crossing: two hours from Milan's northern ring road. By train to Chiavenna, then postbus.

By car you need the Swiss motorway vignette (CHF 40, valid for the calendar year) if you use the motorway: you buy it at the border, at petrol stations near the crossing, or online.