Malga

Malga is a term used in the Italian Alps to denote an alpine pasture and the associated mountain hut or farmstead used for pastoral activities in the warmer months. Traditionally, a malga encompasses both the summer pasture where livestock are kept and the dairy facilities where milk is processed into butter and cheese. The word is widely used in Italian-speaking regions of the Alps, including Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, Lombardy and the Aosta Valley, and appears in local dialects such as Ladin.

During the summer, herds of cattle, goats, and sheep are moved from valley farms to higher pastures for grazing; workers live in the malga, tending animals and operating the dairy. The architecture typically combines stone and wood, with a stable or barn, hayloft, and a dairy room for cheese production. Cheese and dairy products from malghe are part of regional culinary traditions and may be sold locally, especially in peak tourist seasons.

In modern times, malghe remain part of rural economies and are popular as gastronomic and hiking destinations. Some operate as mountain huts (rifugi) that provide meals featuring local dairy products; others are seasonal farms that return to lower elevations outside summer.

The concept of the malga reflects the alpine pastoral economy and transhumance practices that have shaped the landscape of northern Italy for centuries.