Explore Lake Como

Introduction
Lombardia Italy

Lake Como offers a most varied landscape. Along its shores grazing pastures, woods, rough and imposing rocks, picturesque villages overlooking the water and beautiful villas with parks and gardens alternate. The centre of the lake, where its three branches meet, has got the mildest climate and offers the wider panorama. Reaching it by boat one can enjoy a beautiful view over the whole promontory of Bellagio in the northern Grigna overlooking the Valsassina, and on clear days over the high lake bay with the range of the Alps in the background.

Accomodation

Accommodation is in nice and cozy 2/3-star hotels, b&b or agriturismo.

Riding

Itinerary

Day 1  Arrival in Como.
Recommended itinerary on foot to the discovery of the monuments and the most beautiful and representative churches in the history of Como. It is divided in three specific parts: the Old City itinerary, which bears witness to the city’s very first origins; the itinerary in the heart of the city to admire from close up the beautiful cathedral and the Broletto; finally, along the romantic lake promenade towards the gardens of Villa Olmo.
Day 2  Ring of Como: Monte Piatto and Massi Avelli.
From the lovely lake village of Torno along muletracks and wood paths you will come across the ruins of old shepherds’ huts built of stone and wood, the remains of ancient fortifications and archeological finds like the old tombstones “massiavelli”. The Pietra Pendula, as a tangible evidence of the glacial origin of Lake Como and the unexpected built-up areas of middle-mountain like Piazzaga and Monte Piatto, will frame magnificent views on the Como side of the Lake.
Day 3  Como–Menaggio: along the Way of the Monti Lariani.
 Through little farmers’ villages hidden among beech and chestnut woods as far as the ample grazing pastures and the “munt”, the pastures at high altitude devoted to cow and sheep breeding. You will walk along trails and mule-tracks which until the end of the 50s were the playing field of the “spalloni”, the smugglers who carried in jute bags on their shoulders salt, sugar and tobaccos from the neighboring Switzerland to Italy.
Day 4  Ring of Menaggio: Val Perlana and Saint Benedict’s Abbey.
Saint Benedict’s church is a sudden apparition, a sight of bygone times unveiling itself unexpectedly. The tiny community (made up of 3 monks and the abbot) had its period of brightest “splendour” (if one can call it so) around the first half of the 12th century, having obtained estates and properties as a result of several testamentary donations. The slopes along which the woods now spread out were for the most part intensively farmed: olive groves, vegetables and vineyards, as it was in all the region of Lario.
Day 5  Ring of Menaggio: theQueen’s path.
Both the date of construction and the author of this way are unknown. As an evidence of the old age of this way there remain paved paths, walls, bridges, inns and monuments such as churches, chapels and archeological finds that cross the centuries and make of this road an attraction unique in its kind.
Day 6  Ring of Bellagio
Walking along the lakeside leading from Bellagio towards south you will come across the splendid Botanical garden of Villa Melzi, where in springtime you can admire the blossoming of the rare species preserved there. After the little lake villages of Loppia and San Giovanni, through an old muletrack, you will come to a panoramic view situated on the slope of the Mount Nuvolone: from here the lake will offer its singular shape of an upside down “y” and the sight will expand as far as its most northern edges.
Day 7   Wanderer’s path: from Varenna to Bellano.
The route starts from the marvelous lake village of Varenna and will take you as far as Bellano with its ancient churches. Through olive groves terracing, chestnut and cypress woods, breathtaking sights sheer above Lake Como won’t be missing.
Day 8  Bellagio
End of the tour. For those who have time we propose an itinerary to discover the hidden corners of Bellagio and of its historical centre.

Rates and Dates for Explore Lake Como

Dates Note: Every Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Other Info
Meeting: Como
Airport: Verona
Transfer: - by train (not included)

Climate: