dossier

Lake Como Rambling

Level of Difficulty

Grade: Easy - Moderate 
Most of the trails are well maintained. Some of these walks have shorter versions, which include only the sections on easy, mostly paved paths, clearly visible and easy to follow. Longer options are available for some of the walks (eg. days  2, 4, 5 and 6), with some steeper climbs and descents on rougher surfaces.

Fitness: Travelers should have a reasonable level of fitness and should be able to walk for up to 4½ hours during a day for easier options and longer for moderate grade walks. Snow may be encountered especially early in the season. And up to late June at the highest levels.

Waymarking: only some of the routes are marked with red/white signs or with signs.  Elsewhere it is necessary to follow the  route descriptions  provided, together with  the maps.

Documents

All U.S.A. and Canadian citizens traveling to Italy require a passport. This should be valid for 6 months beyond your planned stay. US/Canadian citizens do not require a visa. 

All clients who are not US or Canadian citizens should check passport and visa requirements.

General Information

Baths: it is not normal for your room to have a bath, the main reason being that it takes up a lot of space, some hotels/guesthouses may have a separate room in the house where a bath is available to guests, but in the main expect showers.

Breakfast: in countries such as Italy usually consist of coffee and croissant, sometimes, bread rolls, yoghurts, ham and cheese as well. If you want more for breakfast then we would suggest you purchase some food the night before. It is important for you to tell us if you have any dietary requirements when you book your holiday so that we can inform everyone that you are staying with.

Single Supplements:  are payable on most of our tours. The single supplement guarantees the privacy of your own room, however, rooms can at times be small and in some places may not enjoy the same facilities as double/twin rooms. 

Language: that you will not necessarily come across people speaking English. Remember you have left home to find things different bring a phrase book, try to learn a bit of Italian!!

Accommodation & Meals

Accommodation is on a bed and breakfast basis in 2, 3 & 4-star hotels. All rooms have en-suite facilities. You are free to organize your dinner from the wide choice of restaurants in the area. No picnic lunches are included in the tour price. Materials for picnics can be purchased in the villages where you stay. Also it is possible on all walking days to have lunch in the villages, or Mountain hamlets that you pass through.

Nights 1 & 2: These are spent at Como, the capital of the Lake, in a welcoming and comfortable 4 star hotel, centrally located at walking distance from all the main monuments of the medieval town centre.

Nights 3 & 4: These nights are spent in a comfortable 2-star hotel (although we feel it should have a higher star rating) in the small hamlet of Breglia, high above the Lake, in the mountains above Menaggio.

Nights 5, 6 & 7: These last nights are spent in a very good 3-star hotel in the wonderful little village of Varenna, the ‘most romantic village of Italy’, located in the central part of the Lake.

Outline Itinerary

Note that distances and timings stated below, refer to the main walks plus additional suggestions, which are added to the main walk distance.

Day 1: Arrival in Como, either by train or bus. You can pay a short visit to the very interesting historic town centre and maybe stroll along the lake to soak up the tranquil old world atmosphere.
Hotel **** – Como.

Day 2: Today you take the cable car up to Brunate where you follow a wonderful panoramic walk along a well kept path along the ridge, high above the lake, with views to both sides. It is possible to have a panoramic lunch in Brunate, but there are also many great viewpoint spots for a good picnic. At the ruins of a medieval castle we descend towards the lake again. Those who want to can continue their walk down to the lakeshore village, of Torno, and take the boat back. Otherwise return through the forest to Brunate and travel back by cable car to Como. In the evening you can enjoy a good meal in a nice restaurant in the historic city centre.
Hotel **** – Como.
Distance: 10km  -  16 km (6 - 10 mi). Approx. 4½ - 7 h. walking.

Options for an extra day in Como: Around Como there are many villa’s and estates to visit. Go and see Villa Olmo, and try to see Villa D’Este as well. Travelling by boat to some other lake side villages in this southern part of the lake is also a worthwhile experience. Cernobbio, for example, surrounded by beautiful villa’s, has a wonderful relaxed atmosphere.

Day 3: The first part of the day is dedicated to the old town of Como, renowned for its Romanesque churches, its wonderful Duomo, medieval town walls and silk products. But also for its impressive villas, its fine ‘fin-de-siècle’ hotels and its rationalist architecture along the lake shore. Stroll through the alleys and along the lake to get the real feel of the city. From Como you travel then by boat to Menaggio, admiring all the charming villages from the lake. In Menaggio your taxi meets you and takes you up to the charming village of Breglia, along a panoramic road.  Here take a first stroll to Madonna di Breglia, a ‘church with a view’, and San Domenico. Along the Roman excavations you return to your hotel to relax on the terrace and breathe in the fresh mountain air. 
Hotel ** – Breglia.
Distance: 4,5 – 8,5 km (3 – 5.3 mi). Approx. 2 - 3.5 h. walking

Day 4: Directly from your hotel in Breglia you take a circular walk, which brings you up to a mountain hut above Menaggio. The walk is relatively easy, but nonetheless offers unforgettable views of the lake! First you walk through the old part of the village, then beautiful forests and of course you come across a number of spectacular viewpoints over Lake Como. A last steep section brings you up to the mountain hut where it is possible to have lunch. A short extra walk brings you to the saddle of 'Pizza Coppa' from where you can admire the whole region, from Lake Como to Lake Lugano (Switzerland). An optional detour takes you to the top of Monte Grona (alt. 1736 m.). Taking a gradually descending path, with still spectacular views on Lake Como and the surrounding mountains, you return to Breglia.
Hotel ** – Breglia.
Distance: 9 -12 km (5.6mi – 7.4mi). Approx. 4.5 - 5.5 h. walking

Day 5: A car takes you down to Menaggio, from where you take the boat to the charming village of Varenna, deemed ‘Italy’s most romantic village’, and then settle into your hotel. Varenna has inspiring views of the lake and the distant mountains and brightly painted houses adorned with flower-filled balconies, a bustling waterfront and a maze of meandering cobblestoned streets. It is a delightful place to explore. Take a walk on one of the historical pathways of the area, the so-called ‘Sentiero del Viandante’, which brings you to the curious ‘Fiumelatte’, Italy’s shortest river, this was researched by Leonardo de Vinci. In the afternoon you can opt to visit the small village of Bellano, where you can make a short, but very interesting promenade into the canyon of the river Pioverna. Or perhaps you’ll just want to relax and eat in a trattoria somewhere in the village. 
Hotel *** – Varenna.
Distance: 7 - 9 km (4mi-5.5mi). Approx. 3 - 4 h. walking

 Day 6: Today you walk the northern stretch of the ‘Sentiero del Viandante’. There are several options: you can either walk a shorter or longer stretch. From Varenna you travel by boat or bus to Dervio or Bellano, and from there you walk along this relatively easy coastal path back to Varenna. Views over the lake from this path are marvellous and you move through a pretty terraced landscape. Those who wish can combine the walk with a visit to the abbey of Piona, one of the most intriguing places by Lake Como. Hotel *** – Varenna.
Distance: 8-17 km (5mi-11mi). Approx. 3 - 6 h. walking

Day 7: Today you can visit the whole central section of the Lago di Como by boat. According to your interests there are a several spots where you just ‘must’ go such as: the splendid Villa Carlotta, with its beautiful gardens overlooking the lake, charming Menaggio and of course Bellagio, ''The Pearl of the Lake'', situated on Punta Spartivento, where the two arms of Lake Como meet. Here you can take an incredibly scenic walk through delightful countryside, and the charming fishing village of Pescallo and up to the scenic hamlet of Visgnola. Down at the lake you walk back along the wonderful gardens of Villa Melzi. Then there is time to explore any number of the local villages by boat, or relax with a drink somewhere on the lake shore, before returning to the hotel. Hotel *** – Varenna.
Distance: 8 - 11 km (5mi-7mi). Approx. 3 – 4.5 h. walking

Day 8: End of trip. Depart after breakfast

Note: Enticing though the waters of Lake Como may appear, it takes 4.5 years for the water to pass through the lake and in 2007 it was unfortunately deemed unfit for swimming in due to the high bacterial levels from town sewage.

On Self-guided Trips we provide:

Route notes, maps at 1:25.000 scale.

Escorted Trips 2008

There are no dates scheduled for escorted departures in 2008 but if there is a group of you we can normally arrange an escorted departure for whenever you would like to go.