Tirano

Tirano is the Italian terminus of this famous panoramic train of the Rhaetian Railway, climbing toward St Moritz over spiral viaducts and glacial passes. Leashed dogs are allowed on board with a ticket, so bring water and a quiet seat as the journey lasts several hours.

This great Renaissance pilgrimage sanctuary, raised in the sixteenth century on the site of a Marian apparition, holds a richly decorated interior and a monumental organ. Dogs are not admitted inside the basilica, but the broad forecourt and gardens before it can be walked on a leash.

Tirano's old centre lines up cobbled lanes, historic houses and Palazzo Salis, an aristocratic mansion with baroque salons and a walled garden. You stroll the streets and squares on a leash, while access to the palace's historic rooms stays reserved for visitors without a dog.

The slopes above Tirano are covered with terraced vines held by dry-stone walls, home of Sforzato and the Valtellina reds. Vineyard paths can be walked on a leash among the rows, giving fine views over the valley in the cooler hours.

Just across the Swiss border, the Poschiavo valley extends the Alpine landscape with its lakes and villages, reached by train or car from Tirano. Trails and lakeshores can be walked on a leash, remember the pet passport to cross the frontier.

Around Tirano, the Rhaetian Alps offer many hiking routes among mountain pastures, forests and the valley-floor apple orchards. The trails are walked on a leash, and the cool of altitude in summer suits dogs well, as long as you carry water.