Bormio
Encyclopedia
Bormio is a town and comune
located in the province of Sondrio
, Lombardy
region of the Alps
in northern
Italy
. It has a population of 4,200. In addition to modern skiing facilities, the town is noted for the presence of several hot springs that have been tapped to provide hot spring water to spa baths at Bagni Vecchi, Bagni Nuovi and Terme di Bormio.
valley formed by the Adda River
. It is linked to other valleys via four passes:
aristocracy travelled to Bormio in order to enjoy warm baths in the mountainous scenery. Most of these thermal baths are still in use today.
The town is centred around the historic Piazza Cavour and Via Roma, a historic main trading point on the route from Venice
to Switzerland
. Bormio retains its unique medieval town centre, attracting many tourists, mainly Italian, from Milan
and other cities.
and 2005. There are 50 km (31 mi.) of marked ski runs, the longest run of which is 6 km (3.7 mi.), served by 14 lifts and several ski schools.
Bormio is a regular stop on the World Cup
circuit, usually with a men's downhill in late December. The Pista Stelvio, named after Stelvio Pass
, is one of the most challenging downhill courses in the world. It is second-longest course on the World Cup circuit, behind only the Lauberhorn
in Wengen
, Switzerland
. For the December 2010
World Cup race, the Stelvio had a vertical drop of 1010 m (3314 ft.) on a course length of 3.27 km (2.03 mi.); the winning time was just under two minutes.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
located in the province of Sondrio
Province of Sondrio
The Province of Sondrio is in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the town of Sondrio.It has an area of 3,212 km², and a total population of 176,856...
, Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
region of the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
in northern
Northern Italy
Northern Italy is a wide cultural, historical and geographical definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the northern part of the Italian state, also referred as Settentrione or Alta Italia...
Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It has a population of 4,200. In addition to modern skiing facilities, the town is noted for the presence of several hot springs that have been tapped to provide hot spring water to spa baths at Bagni Vecchi, Bagni Nuovi and Terme di Bormio.
Geography
Bormio lies at the top of the ValtellinaValtellina
Valtellina or the Valtelline valley ; is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its skiing, its hot spring spas, its cheeses and its wines...
valley formed by the Adda River
Adda River
The Adda is a river in North Italy, a tributary of the Po. It rises in the Alps near the border with Switzerland and flows through Lake Como. The Adda joins the Po a few kilometres upstream of Cremona. It is 313 kilometres long...
. It is linked to other valleys via four passes:
- South TyrolSouth TyrolSouth Tyrol , also known by its Italian name Alto Adige, is an autonomous province in northern Italy. It is one of the two autonomous provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The province has an area of and a total population of more than 500,000 inhabitants...
via the Stelvio PassStelvio PassThe Stelvio Pass , located in Italy, at 2757 m is the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps, and the second highest in the Alps, slightly below the Col de l'Iseran .-Location:... - Val MüstairVal MüstairVal Müstair is a municipality in the district of Inn in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. It was formed on 1 January 2009 through the merger of Tschierv, Fuldera, Lü, Valchava, Santa Maria Val Müstair and Müstair.-Demographics:...
via the Umbrail PassUmbrail PassUmbrail Pass is a high mountain pass on the Swiss-Italian border connecting Santa Maria in Val Müstair with Bormio in the Adda valley. On the Italian side, it connects to the Stelvio Pass road.-See also:* List of highest paved roads in Europe... - LivignoLivignoLivigno is a town and comune in the province of Sondrio, in the region of Lombardy, Italy, located in the Italian Alps.- Geography :Livigno is located 1,816 metres above sea level. Livigno's main river is called Aqua Granda or Spöl. Trepalle, a frazione in the municipality of Livigno, is...
via the Foscagno PassFoscagno PassFoscagno Pass is a high mountain pass in the Alps in the province of Sondrio, northern Italy.The road connects Bormio in the east and Livigno in the west.... - Ponte di LegnoPonte di LegnoPonte di Legno is an Italian comune of 1816 inhabitants in Val Camonica, province of Brescia, in Lombardy.-History:...
via the Gavia PassGavia PassGavia Pass is a high mountain pass in the Italian Alps. It is the tenth highest paved road in the Alps.The pass lies in the Lombardy region and divides the province of Sondrio to the north and the province of Brescia to the south...
History
Due to its thermal baths, Bormio has long been a tourist attraction. Members of the RomanRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
aristocracy travelled to Bormio in order to enjoy warm baths in the mountainous scenery. Most of these thermal baths are still in use today.
The town is centred around the historic Piazza Cavour and Via Roma, a historic main trading point on the route from Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Bormio retains its unique medieval town centre, attracting many tourists, mainly Italian, from Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
and other cities.
Alpine skiing
The village hosted the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships twice, in 1985FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1985
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1985 were held in Bormio, northern Italy between January 31 and February 10, 1985.These were the first world championships held in an odd-numbered year, and the last without the Super-G event....
and 2005. There are 50 km (31 mi.) of marked ski runs, the longest run of which is 6 km (3.7 mi.), served by 14 lifts and several ski schools.
Bormio is a regular stop on the World Cup
Alpine skiing World Cup
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA...
circuit, usually with a men's downhill in late December. The Pista Stelvio, named after Stelvio Pass
Stelvio Pass
The Stelvio Pass , located in Italy, at 2757 m is the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps, and the second highest in the Alps, slightly below the Col de l'Iseran .-Location:...
, is one of the most challenging downhill courses in the world. It is second-longest course on the World Cup circuit, behind only the Lauberhorn
Lauberhorn
The Lauberhorn is a mountain in the Bernese Alps of Switzerland, located between Wengen and Grindelwald. Its summit is at an elevation of 8110 feet above sea level....
in Wengen
Wengen
Wengen may refer to:*Wengen, a village and winter resort in Switzerland*La Val, a commune in South Tyrol, Italy with the German name "Wengen"*in Germany:**Wengen , a village in the municipality of Nennslingen in Mittelfranken...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. For the December 2010
2011 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 45th FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season began on 23 October 2010, in Sölden, Austria, and concluded on 20 March 2011, at the World Cup finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.Being an odd-numbered year, the biennial World Championships took place in February...
World Cup race, the Stelvio had a vertical drop of 1010 m (3314 ft.) on a course length of 3.27 km (2.03 mi.); the winning time was just under two minutes.
- Alpine Ski Maps.com - winter map - Bormio