Lake Como is a famous tourist resort in Lombardy. Beautiful landscapes created by the Alps that surround the narrow fjord created by crystal clear water and steep banks are very narrow, with a truly unique setting, rich in nature and magnificent forests, capable of giving breath-taking views and unparalleled sensations. Excellent location for long leisure walks, the whole area of the lake is equipped with trails in the woods along the coast by the sides of the steep mountains that surround its banks.
The variety of landscapes is truly remarkable within the extent of the lake. With its distinctive inverted epsilon shape it guarantees very long banks extremely suitable for nature trails, even of a great magnitude. For several years the practice of trekking has seen considerable growth, precisely because of the numerous equipped trails and the ease with which it is possible to reach the town from the metropolitan city of Milan and Switzerland. Many sections of the routes are easy to use even by those who are not experienced, and families with children who can easily travel short stretches of green and rich equipped areas.
The different locations of Lake Como are truly able to offer every type of tourist different possibilities for hiking in a simple way, surrounded by nature, and above all – in complete safety. With good equipment and backpacking you can take long walks and spend a lot of time in contact with nature, enjoying spectacular landscapes overlooking the lake and enchanting scenery a few steps away from Milan easily accessible by train.
Way of the Wayfarer – Varenna
For those who want to immerse themselves immediately in nature, the Way of the Wayfarer is a very interesting choice. The route begins at the Church of San Martino in Pozzo at Abbadia Lariana and ends at Piantedo at the sanctuary of the Madonna di Val Pozzo. It traces an ancient route of Roman origin and allows on different stages to cover a distance equal to 45 kilometres.
Among the various places where you can enjoy paths of great beauty, Varenna is the best starting point for particularly beautiful hikes. One of the characteristics that accompanies the whole itinerary is the constant presence of dry stone walls of considerable height, often surrounded by climbing plants and wild flowers. Thanks to the path you can reach points of interest such as the Vezio Castle and the black marble quarries of Varenna.
Another alternative is to take the direction to the town of Lierna where, with a half day commitment and a maximum height difference of just over five hundred meters, it is possible to reach really interesting places such as the Cimitero degli Inglesi, the Sorgente del Fiumelatte and the Castle of Lierna. Very intense landscapes characterized by woods and rocks depict a scenario of rare value and intense beauty.
Path 6 – Valbasca, Como
Easy to follow, with a length of just above two kilometres, the trail allows you to make simple walks in the open air immersed in woods of great beauty. It can be reached starting from Località Albate, directly from the city of Como and, crossing the valley bottom of the Valbasca stream. You can immerse yourself in beautiful deciduous forests alternating with wide meadows.
It is a route suitable for everyone, even by families with children and very suitable for quick excursions without making too much effort due to a maximum height difference of just over twenty meters. Halfway along the path you will reach the parking area built in a forest of white hornbeam. During the walk you can see the remains of the Polveriera, an old building dating back to the Second World War used as a weapon warehouse.
Although it is an optimal route for who is resident in Como, it is also highly recommended for those not in the right place for the ease of execution and the chance to immerse themselves in a wild nature and with harsh and really beautiful outlines.
Path of expressions – Schignano
A truly evocative and very suitable path for walking with children characterized by a nature of remarkable beauty in which works of art carved in wood are immersed. Born as a theme park-like path by the collaboration between the municipality of Schignano, various local authorities and associations, the path is perfectly equipped and allows in about an hour and a half with a difference in height around 350 meters to make excellent excursions suitable for all.
Beyond the nature represented by woods of undisputed beauty, the wooden works created by artists in full respect of the traditional woodworking create unique atmospheres giving a touch of magic to the entire route, a feature much appreciated by children who can play and have fun together with the fairy-tale characters they meet along the way.
The path is not particularly difficult even if in some places it includes steps and inaccessible areas where you need to pay attention especially if you have young children. Along the way you will find the Agriturismo Pratolina where you can stop and rejuvenate.
Kilometre of knowledge – Como
Made in 2016 along the western shore of the lake, the kilometre of knowledge is a comfortable city walk that in Como allows you to walk to several historic villas of considerable architectural and landscape value. One kilometre long, this route starts from Villa Olmo, crosses the road to Cernobbio, and crosses the Serre Comunali to reach Villa del Grumello and Villa Sucota.
A fresh and very suitable project for those who want to immerse themselves in the remarkable historical and cultural context of an urban area of the City of Como, which has always been a tourist attraction and rich in historical remains of considerable importance and rare beauty. Through the path you can reach the respective parks of the villas characterized by greenhouses and lemon groves, particular plants and rare botanical essences, chapels and works of art that embellish a very harmonious scenery always with the lake in the background.
Path of the Forts – Colico
A very beautiful and evocative route, characterized by spectacular landscapes and also bicycle rides. Easy to reach by car or by train, the path is located in Colico, a place that has always been considered strategic from a military point of view. A very interesting point where Valtellina, Val Chiavenna and Lake Como meet and many historical testimonies confirm its vocation as a defence outpost.
The route has a length of around twenty kilometres and has an overall difference in height around 200 meters. Its main feature is to be located in a particular area where the confluence of the river Adda in the lake has created a small floodplain, crossroads of directives that from Milan, along the east bank, arriving at Valtellina and beside the Val Chiavenna up to Switzerland.
The trail allows you to visit the two forts of Colico, the Forte Montecchio Nord, dating back to the First World War and the Forte di Fuentes, a seventeenth-century military fortification that brings us back to the Spanish domination of Manzoni memory. Testimonies of the past that saw Lombardy as a geographical area at the centre of European political and military attention.