The site is located in the eastern part of Lombardy. The area is characterized by typical alpine and pre-alpine valleys, ranging from valley bottom landscapes to the highest peaks of Europe and the Adamello Glacier, and ends in the Iseo Lake, one of Italy’s largest basins. The landscape features rivers and lakes, woods and forests, glaciers, meadows and prairies. Farming and animal husbandry in the region follows ancestral traditions.

The reserve is located in the oriental part of Lombardy and is one of the more extensive valley of central Alps. The area has typical alpine and prealpine valleys characteristics, morphologically modelled by the great Glacier of Adamello, and the conformation goes from typical valley bottom landscapes to the highest peaks of Europe with the heights of the Adamello groups and ends in the Iseo Lake, one of the largest basins of Italy. The altitudinal range from about 200 m a.s.l. on the Bottonm Valley – Lake Sebino, to the 3.539 m a.s.l. of the Adamello summit).

The predominant habitat of the reserve are, in general, inland water, rivers and lakes, woods and forests, glaciers, meadows and prairies. The wood ecosystem is the mainly represented. Adamello glòacier is the most greater of Italy.

The mountain landscape characters change deeply: the alpine aspect, dominated by rocks, glaciers, snow areas and wooded mountainsides of the high valley, is then changed by the prealpine thermal and environmental influence of the medium and low valley. The anthropization increases with the decrease of the altimetry level and the enlargement of the valley in the low part with settlements of residential, commercial and productive character.

The resident population in the Biosphere Reserve is 121.022 inhabitants. Most part of municipalities present a number of inhabitants included between the 1.000 and 5.000, just one town has a population greater of 15.000 individuals (Darfo Boario Terme). The candidate reserve hosts a great number of animal species, especially plant, various endemic species.

The habitat and environments variety characterized the reserve to support the presence of various animal species relevant under the local and community profile; many of these are subjected to strict protection policies related to the conservation status. In addition to the wild flora and fauna, a lot of species have an economic interest and are related to the agricultural tradition of the Valley. The Camonica Valley has a deep tradition linked to the agriculture and the farming.

Information are taken from the official website of UNESCO

Click here to read more information about the candidacy of the “Valle Camonica – Alto Sebino” as a Biosphere Reserve within the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme – UNESCO.