Overlooking Piazza Garibaldi in the centre of Sondrio, the Grand Hotel della Posta, WorldHotels Distinctive, Sondrio, Italy, has welcomed guests since 1862 in a nineteenth-century building full of charm and history. Carefully restored in keeping with its original architecture, it pairs the timeless elegance of the late nineteenth century with modern comfort, its 38 spacious rooms adorned with artwork and fine furnishings. A grand old staircase and elegant salons carry the period feel through the public spaces, while a restaurant and bar look out over the square. The 38 rooms maintain a quiet, gracious atmosphere above the piazza. Sondrio is the capital of the Valtellina, the long Alpine valley of the upper Adda, famous for its terraced vineyards of Nebbiolo, its bresaola cured beef, and its mountain cheeses, with stone-walled vineyard paths and old cellars climbing the steep slopes above the town. The peaks and trails of the Orobie and Rhaetian Alps rise on either side for walking and skiing, while Stelvio National Park and the spa town of Bormio lie up the valley toward the glaciers. The little red Bernina Express climbs over the Alps to St. Moritz from nearby Tirano. Apple orchards and vineyards fill the valley floor around.