Val Taleggio: there’s no better ride

There’s a line on a Belle & Sebastian record that goes:
“Promises of fame, promises of fortune,
LA to New York, San Francisco back to Boston…
Has he ever seen Dundee?”

And every time I think of Val Taleggio, those words come back to me. Because truly — there is no place on earth more beautiful than this valley. Not the Pyrenees, not Mallorca, not even the Dolomites.

I’ve been fortunate enough to ride my bike in many places: Colombia, France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, the Andes, the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Dolomites. Legendary climbs, iconic passes, world-class scenery. But every time I return here, to this narrow valley tucked away in the Bergamo Alps, I ask myself: why did I ever need to go so far to ride my bike?

Val Taleggio has everything a cyclist could ever want.
Winding roads that seem to have been drawn by a dreamer.
Spectacular views unfolding one after another.
Steep climbs and gentle descents, each with its own rhythm and character.

At the valley’s entrance lies the Orrido, a dramatic gorge where the road threads itself between rock walls so narrow you can almost touch them with your elbows. Waterfalls thunder from above, echoing through the canyon, and every time you ride through it you can’t help but wonder: “Did someone really build a road here?”

Then the scenery opens into wide meadows, quiet hamlets, and forests so deep and green in summer they feel enchanted — forests that, come autumn, explode into colors so rich they look painted by hand. And of course, the fields are dotted with grazing cows, lifting their heads just long enough to watch you roll by while they keep chewing with majestic indifference.

And beyond all this, rising at the far end of the valley, stand the rocky mass of Monte Cancervo and, just beside it, the rounded summit of Cima Baciamorti — two of the most beautiful mountains ever drawn by nature. They tower like silent guardians of the valley, their ridges catching the first light of morning and the last glow of the day.

This is what every cyclist waits for all winter long —
for the days to grow longer and warmer,
for the roads to dry,
for that first hint of spring at the end of February.

We recommend riding the loop clockwise. This way you get to climb Ceresola, a climb so unknown that even many locals have never heard of it. It’s a beautiful ascent that winds through two isolated hamlets and gives your legs a proper warm-up with its spicy 3 kilometers, a narrow little road in the woods and rough old asphalt.

You’ll reach Val Taleggio via the panoramic Blello road, with the almost Gothic spires of the Monte Foldone “natural cathedral” rising above you. This contouring road opens up to full views over Val Brembilla, and on the opposite side of the valley you’ll spot the tiny churches of Sant’Antonio, Cavaglia, and Camorone—which are, by the way, perfect “spin-off” climbs if you feel like exploring new directions!

And when it finally arrives, there’s only one thing to do:
take the bike and ride to Val Taleggio.
There is no better ride! Every time I return to Val Taleggio, I’m reminded of this simple thing.