The best traffic-free bike rides around San Giovanni Bianco

Selvino is an Italian municipality of about 2,000 inhabitants located at an altitude of 960 meters in the Bergamasque Prealps, nestled on a plateau between the Val Seriana and the Val Brembana. The town, led by mayor Andrea Santopietro, is about half an hour from Bergamo and an hour from Milan, characteristics that make it one of the most appreciated holiday and family tourism destinations in Lombardy both in summer and winter. The name of the village derives from the Latin silva, a testament to the dense forests that originally covered the area.

Selvino is an Italian municipality of about 2,000 inhabitants located in Lombardy, in the province of Bergamo, at an altitude of about 960 meters above sea level. Nestled on the pre-Alpine plateau of the same name between the Seriana Valley and the Brembana Valley, it is about half an hour from Bergamo and an hour from Milan, historically positioning itself as a renowned summer and winter holiday resort. Nature, Sport and Activities • Monte Purito: It is the hub of local entertainment. It hosts a well-equipped Adventure Park with suspended tree-top courses, while in winter it transforms into a small ski area equipped with ski lifts, artificial snow, and ski slopes. • Hiking and Cycling: The area offers numerous trails suitable for family walks (such as the Sentiero basso BLU) or mountain bike itineraries. The road climb leading to the town is also famous among cyclists, having been a stage of the Giro d'Italia several times. • The Quartz of Selvino: The area is known among mineral collectors for the presence of characteristic double-terminated quartz crystals (the so-called "Selvino quartz"), easily found in the surrounding terrain. History and Culture • Sciesopoli: One of the most significant historical pages of the municipality. This large mountain colony hosted, between 1945 and 1948, about 800 Jewish children and teenagers who survived the Nazi extermination camps (known as the "Selvino Children"), helping them to rehabilitate before their transfer to Israel. Today it houses a Memorial Museum. • Borgo Taramelli: It represents the oldest historical hamlet of the town, once a fundamental hub for the trade of the Via Mercatorum heading towards Switzerland. • Sanctuary of Perello: Located in the surroundings, it is the main place of worship in the area, immersed in the woods and founded in the medieval period.

Very beautiful climb with little traffic, possibility to climb from the Camerata Cornello side and descend from the San Giovanni Bianco side (this one with an average gradient of about 10%) or vice versa. Beautiful views, recommended!

The Brembo is an important Italian river 74 kilometers long, located entirely within the province of Bergamo, Lombardy. It is the main left tributary of the Adda river by discharge and gives its name to the evocative Val Brembana.

The cycle path in the Brembana Valley, the Ciclovia Valle Brembana, largely follows an old railway line that was closed in 1966 because it had become unprofitable due to increasing motorization: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrovia_Valle_Brembana In the 2000s, the former railway line was asphalted and converted into a great cycle path. The many illuminated tunnels make cycling here an experience!

The cycle path in the Brembana Valley, the Ciclovia Valle Brembana, largely follows an old railway line, which was decommissioned in 1966 because it had become unprofitable due to increasing motorization: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrovia_Valle_Brembana In the 2000s, the former railway line was asphalted and converted into a great cycle path. The many illuminated tunnels make cycling an experience!

classic water refill point on arrival or departure in Selvino

shortly before the bridges in the Ambria di Zogno area