Some of the best moments of our recent Italy trip happened around a dinner table. Others happened on Lake Como, high in the Italian Alps, or inside military tunnels carved into the mountains more than a century ago.
Together, they made Hometown Hero Outdoors’ 2026 Italy adventure an experience that will stay with us for a long time. From the hospitality of our Italian hosts to the history shared by the local Alpini, this trip gave us a chance to explore Northern Italy through the people who call it home.
Beginning at Lake Como and La Villa Regia
After landing in Milan, our trip began with four couples heading to Lake Como for a few extra days before the rest of the group arrived. Our home base was La Villa Regia in Torno, a beautiful lakeside villa that made it easy to settle into a different pace.
Lake Como has a reputation for its scenery, and it certainly lived up to it. Mountains rising above the water, villages tucked along the shoreline, and historic villas made even the ride across the lake something to remember.
During our boat tour, we visited well-known villas and learned about the history behind these remarkable properties. Seeing them from the water and then hearing their stories gave us a much deeper appreciation for the area than the photographs alone ever could.
A Mountainside Welcome from Gigi and Cristina
One of the most memorable stops was also one of the smallest: a visit with Luigi “Gigi” Marson and his wife, Cristina, at their small winery, Vitivinicola Cernobbio, in the hills above Lake Como.
Their beautiful, handmade home on the mountainside overlooks the lake. With a wine production of only around 200 bottles a year, the visit felt personal from the beginning. Gigi and Cristina welcomed us with wonderful food, great wine, and the kind of hospitality that makes you feel comfortable almost immediately.
There was time to enjoy the setting, hear about their work, and appreciate everything that went into what they shared with us. It was a good reminder of how much of a place you can come to understand simply by sitting down with the people who live there.
We went for a wine tasting. We left remembering Gigi and Cristina just as much as the wine.
Bringing the Whole Group Together
When the rest of our travelers arrived, we spent a night together at La Villa Regia before continuing into the mountains.
Our first evening with everyone brought a chef-prepared, home-cooked Italian dinner, plenty of pasta and wine, and a chance to get to know the people we would be sharing the week with. Around the table, conversations stretched out, stories were exchanged, and the group began finding its rhythm.
From Lake Como, we traveled to Hotel ValAmerica in Sernio, our base for exploring the Valtellina Valley and the Italian Alps. The landscape changed, but the welcome continued. Having local hosts guide the experience opened doors and introduced us to people and places we would have been unlikely to discover on our own.
Forte di Oga and Northern Italy’s Military History
The military history woven into this trip gave it particular meaning for our group.
At Forte di Oga, also known as Forte Venini, we explored a fortification built to help defend the mountain approaches of Upper Valtellina. Its role during World War I connected the scenery around us to a much harder chapter of the region’s history.
Looking across those mountains, it was difficult not to think about the soldiers who served there. The terrain we were enjoying as visitors had once presented enormous challenges for men responsible for defending it.
That history became even more immediate when we had the honor of exploring Italian Army trenches and tunnels dating back to World War I.
Inside World War I Tunnels with the Local Alpini
Local Alpini are gradually restoring sections of a network of trenches and tunnels extending for miles through the mountains. Their work is preserving places that could otherwise disappear from view, along with the stories of the soldiers who built and occupied them.
Our hosts confirmed that we were the first Americans to enter the tunnel sections they shared with us. Being welcomed into those spaces was a privilege and one of the most meaningful experiences of the trip.
Our guides explained the defenses as successive barriers along the approach toward Milan: the Stelvio area as the first line, Forte di Oga as another layer, and the trenches we explored as a final defensive position along that route. Hearing that explanation while standing inside the landscape helped us understand how the places we visited connected to one another.
Walking through the tunnels brought the scale of the effort into focus. These positions had to be carved, built, supplied, and occupied in demanding mountain conditions. More than a century later, the work remains a powerful reminder of the people who served there.
Sharing that experience with the Alpini added something a museum display could never fully provide. Their care for these sites, their military heritage, and their willingness to share both with us created a connection that reached well beyond the tour itself.
Stelvio Pass, Livigno, and an Evening at the Castle
Our time at Stelvio Pass offered some of the most striking views of the trip. The winding mountain road and sweeping Alpine scenery were impressive on their own. After learning more about the region’s wartime history, we also saw those mountains with a different perspective.
We visited Livigno, enjoyed its mountain setting, and had time to experience another side of life in the Italian Alps.
Another highlight was exploring a historic castle before gathering for dinner and trivia. After days filled with travel, scenery, and history, those evenings together gave everyone a chance to relax, laugh, and compare the moments that had stood out to them.
That combination made the week work so well: remarkable places to explore during the day and good company to share them with afterward.
The People Who Made the Trip
Our thanks go to Dominic and Maura, Federica, Ledio, Sisi, Alessia and the team at Hotel ValAmerica, Gigi and Cristina, and the local Alpini who welcomed us and shared their time, homes, and history.
Their hospitality shaped the entire experience. We were invited to sit at their tables, learn about their communities, and see places that matter deeply to them. That generosity is what made Northern Italy feel personal.
This adventure also served as a fundraiser supporting Hometown Hero Outdoors and our mission of connecting military service members, veterans, and first responders through outdoor recreation and community.
We came home with photographs of Lake Como, the Italian Alps, and extraordinary historic places. We also came home with new friendships and a deeper appreciation for the people we met along the way.
Years from now, we will still remember the mountains. We will remember who welcomed us into them, too.
Escape. Heal. Repeat.
