Discovering the entertaining walks, trekking and hiking routes around Lake Como.

In the heart of Lake Como, Menaggio is a small town situated in northern Italy, in the region Lombardy, and every year it hosts visitors who decide to spend their Summer holidays in the area. Thanks to its position, Menaggio is a lively and easily reachable place, which offers a wide range of cultural, gastronomic or natural activities. You can spend your time enjoying the views, tasting local food and wine or discovering historical and natural beauties.

Among the activities that this area offers, a very popular choice is to take part in walks, trekking and hiking itineraries, following old railroads, crossing nature reserves and discovering ancient roads. The routes can vary in length and difficulty and can be taken by feet or bike, some of the most popular lead to Porlezza, Grandola ed Uniti, Colonno and Cadenabbia. 

From Menaggio to Porlezza, retracing the route of the former railway line.

Starting from Menaggio, you can take part to an itinerary that follows the traces of the former railway line that ran between Menaggio and Porlezza, connecting Lake Como to Lake Lugano. This railway line was opened in 1884, with the purpose of attracting tourists coming from northern Europe to this area. After the First World War though, the line became a simple working-class transit system, that ran until 1939 and then was abandoned. The former railway station of Menaggio in Via IV Novembre is the starting point, from here the itinerary will lead you through the Val Menaggio, Val Sanagra and the Lago di Piano Reserve. You can follow the path on foot or by bike, through some small section crossroads used by local traffic. With a length of 12,5m and an ascent of 250m, it is considered an easy itinerary, that you can enjoy in 3h.30 on foot or 1h.45 by bike. 

Walk around lake Como to discover the beauty of Il Rogolone, a natural monument.

If you prefer a path through the wonders of nature, you can join the itinerary that leads to Il Rogolone, an enormous ancient oak tree near the commune of Grandola ed Uniti. The tree measures 25 m in height and 8 m in circumference and stands in a clearing in the woods around the fraction. It has been declared a natural monument and it was chosen as the symbol of the Val Senagra Park. The starting point of this walk is Piazza Garibaldi in Menaggio and, as you walk through woods, fields and rural villages, you will cross the fractions of Cardano, Gonte, Rogolone, Velzo, Codogna, Mulino Vecchia Chioderia and Piamuro. With an ascent of 279m, this route is considered easy, and you can reach its end in about 4.30 hrs by feet.

Follow the trekking route around Lake Piano to enjoy the wonders of the Val Menaggio natural oasis.

Speaking about nature, there is another path that will satisfy your need for peace and relax. Starting from La Santa, at about 5km from Menaggio, you can follow the circular itinerary around the small Lake Piano, through a protected natural oasis of Val Menaggio. The route leads you at the foot of Monte Galbiga and, as you walk through woods and fields, you can see the medieval village of Castel S. Pietro and part of the old train line that ran between Porlezza and Menaggio. Lake Piano lies between Lake Como and Lake Lugano and it represents a precious breeding place for many types of water birds. With a duration of 3 hours by feet and an almost null ascent, this itinerary is considered as an easy path, though a difficult is usually represented by mosquitos that during the Summer infest the south shore of the lake. 

Walk, cycle or hike around lake Como following the path between Cremia and Sorico.

Thanks to the work of some towns situated on the north side of Lake Como, it is also possible to travel different cycle paths following the lakeside. Each path has a duration time that goes from 1 to 2 hours and is also walkable on foot, the most famous routes connect Cremia to Musso, Dongo to Gravedona and Domaso to Sorico. 

The first one is walkable in about 50 minutes and the starting point is the bus stop S. Vito in Cremia, as you walk you can see some beaches where many kite surfers usually practice, you’ll meet Monte Legnone, the highest peak in the area of Lake Como, the church of San Martino and the museum of Barca Lariana (both in Pianello), where you can retrace the history of the motorboat industry. Entering the commune of Musso, you can walk by some typical fishermen houses and visit the city museum that displays the main activities of the area through the centuries.

The second path has a duration time of 1 hour and 30 minutes and starts in Piazza Paracchini in Dongo, where you can visit the “End of the War” Museum and find some testimonies of the Second World War. Then, following the path, you will see the stream Albano, the monastery of Madonna delle Lacrime, the church of Saint Stefano and go-ahead by the lakeside. In a while, you will also meet the churches of Saint Vincenzo and Saint Maria del Tiglio and Palazzo Gaglio in Gravedona.

Instead, the third path starts from Piazza Ghislanzoni in Domaso and leads you directly to the historical part of the town following the Antica Strada Regina, the ancient Roman road that used to connect Milan to Como. Along the path, you will see the church of Saint Bartolomeo and Villa Camilla, that overlooks the lake. Then you will walk across the bridge of little river Livio and reach the beach of Domaso, one of the longest beaches in the area of Lake Como, that offers the possibility of practising many water sports like windsurfing and sailing. From here you can take the cycle path that will lead you to Sorico, passing by some camping grounds and the touristic harbour, crossing San Vincenzo and Mera river, until you reach Pian di Spagna, a nature reserve that hosts a huge number of sedentary and migratory birds and represents a perfect stop for birdwatchers. This path ends in the historical centre of Sorico after about 1h and 45 minutes.

Enjoy the Greenway, the most famous Lake Como walk that retraces the Antica Strada Regina route.

Last but not least, the most popular itinerary, the Greenway. This path connects Colonno to Cadenabbia and it is considered one of the easiest walks of this area. With its 10 km, it takes about 3 hours and 30 minutes to end this route, following the traces of the Antica Strada Regina. All the details of this famous itinerary are available on the official website of the Greenway and the commune of Menaggio.

Finally, if you decide to spend your holiday around lake Como staying at our Hotel Loveno, you can also take advantages of the guided hiking tours promoted by Slow Lake Como (click here to read about some of them).

Contact us to discover more info @ hotelloveno.com.

–  Sara

Sources:   

• IL ROGOLONE, LA GRANDE QUERCIA
• LAGO DI PIANO
• LAKESIDE WALKS Cremia to Musso, Dongo to Domaso and Domaso to Sorico
• Best walking holidays to do with the family