Rifugio Nicola

Rifugio Nicola is a mountain hut (rifugio alpino) and restaurant located on the Artavaggio plateau in the comune of Barzio, in the Valsassina area of the Prealpi Orobiche (Orobie Prealps), at an elevation of 1,870 metres above sea level. It sits between the Val Taleggio and the Valtorta, in the province of Lecco, Lombardy, northern Italy. The hut is a commercial hospitality business offering accommodation and dining to hikers, climbers and visitors to the plateau, and it is a well-known landmark of the Artavaggio area. The rifugio was built in 1968 and named in honour of Nicola Esposito, the father of Angelo Esposito, who died prematurely in an accident at the Rifugio Cazzaniga-Merlini, where he was the manager. Its distinctive triangular roof is designed to echo the silhouette of the nearby Monte Sodadura. The building provides 9 rooms with a total of 24 beds, while its self-service restaurant can seat 150 people indoors. The Artavaggio plateau ranges in altitude from about 1,600 to 2,000 metres and offers panoramic views in every direction: the Grigne and Resegone in the foreground, the Rhaetian Alps to the north, the Orobie to the east, the Po Valley to the south with the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines in the background, and Monviso to the west. Scattered across the plateau are malghe and alpeggi (summer farms and pastures) that operate during the summer months, producing Taleggio, Strachitunt (DOP) and other alpine dairy cheeses. The hut is reached by several trails: from Piani di Artavaggio in about 1 hour; from Moggio in about 3 hours; from Culmine di San Pietro in about 3 hours; from Cassiglio in about 4 hours; from Val Taleggio in about 3 hours; from Valtorta in about 3 hours; and from Piani di Bobbio in about 2 hours via CAI path no. 101, also known as the Sentiero degli Stradini. Nearby ascents include Monte Sodadura (2,010 m, pyramidal in shape), Cima di Piazzo (2,057 m, rounded and often frequented by chamois), Zuccone Campelli (2,161 m), Zucco Barbisino (2,152 m), Zucco Pesciola (2,092 m), Monte Aralalta (2,006 m) and Pizzo Baciamorti (2,009 m). As a mountain hospitality brand, Rifugio Nicola is tied to the local hiking and alpine tourism economy of the Valsassina and the Artavaggio plateau. It maintains an official website at rifugionicola.com and is documented in Italian Wikipedia and Wikidata as a mountain hut of Lake Como.

Rifugio Nicola was built in 1968 on the Artavaggio plateau in the comune of Barzio, Valsassina, in the Prealpi Orobiche. It was named in honour of Nicola Esposito, father of Angelo Esposito, who died prematurely in an accident at the Rifugio Cazzaniga-Merlini, where he served as manager. The hut's characteristic triangular roof was designed to evoke the silhouette of the nearby Monte Sodadura. The rifugio is situated on the Artavaggio plateau, between the Val Taleggio and the Valtorta, at an altitude of 1,870 metres above sea level. The plateau itself ranges from about 1,600 to 2,000 metres and is dotted with malghe and alpeggi (summer farms and pastures) that operate during the summer months, producing Taleggio, Strachitunt (DOP) and other alpine dairy cheeses. The building offers 9 rooms with a total of 24 beds, and its self-service restaurant can seat 150 people indoors. Its position affords a 360-degree panorama: the Grigne and Resegone in the foreground, the Rhaetian Alps to the north, the Orobie to the east, the Po Valley to the south with the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines in the background, and Monviso to the west. The hut is accessible via several hiking routes: from Piani di Artavaggio in about 1 hour; from Moggio in about 3 hours; from Culmine di San Pietro in about 3 hours; from Cassiglio in about 4 hours; from Val Taleggio in about 3 hours; from Valtorta in about 3 hours; and from Piani di Bobbio in about 2 hours via CAI path no. 101 (the Sentiero degli Stradini). Nearby ascents include Monte Sodadura (2,010 m), Cima di Piazzo (2,057 m), Zuccone Campelli (2,161 m), Zucco Barbisino (2,152 m), Zucco Pesciola (2,092 m), Monte Aralalta (2,006 m) and Pizzo Baciamorti (2,009 m). Rifugio Nicola maintains an official website at rifugionicola.com and is documented in Italian Wikipedia and Wikidata as a mountain hut of Lake Como. It remains an active hospitality business tied to the hiking and alpine tourism economy of the Valsassina and the Artavaggio plateau.

• 1968

  Rifugio Nicola is built on the Artavaggio plateau, named in memory of Nicola Esposito.

A traditional alpine mountain hut and restaurant serving hikers and visitors on the Artavaggio plateau, known for its panoramic setting and its triangular roof echoing Monte Sodadura.

• Mountain hut accommodation (9 rooms, 24 beds)

• Self-service restaurant (150 indoor seats)

1. 1Rifugio Nicola – Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Rifugio Nicola – Wikipedia (Italian)it.wikipedia.org
3. 3Rifugio Nicola official websiterifugionicola.com