Italy - Lake Como Holiday with Hooked on Walking.

Italy - Lake Como Holiday with Hooked on Walking.

This tour leads you through one of the most panoramic areas of the Lake Como region.

Tours start and finish near Como, a beautiful city with a rich history. The walled centre, with its narrow alleys, fine squares and impressive dome, reaches right to the shore of the lake. The tour leads over the summits of the Triangolo Lariano, the triangular piece of land surrounded on two sides by the lake and on the third by the plains of the river Po. This situation guarantees splendid views all around; the snow-topped Alps in the north, the steep Grigna in the east and at sunset the Mon Viso in the west on the French border! Closer by, just beneath, is the lake with its characteristic villages, showing, in sight and sound, the fine examples of Romanic church towers.

The walk goes through ancient chestnut forests, over gentle summits and mountain meadows. ‘Rifugi’, small local inns and resting places, will offer you a sumptuous selection of local specialities, tempting you to a tasty break with an inevitable glass of wine. If you wish you can choose to walk over the highest summit of the area, the San Primo. From here the entire lake with its quaint shore side towns can be seen, including Bellagio, the so-called ‘Pearl of the Lake’’, from where you will take a scenic boat ride back to Como at the end of your tour. From the boat you will have a constant view on the mountain ridge you walked over on the previous days and you will get a close-up glimpse of the lakeside towns.

Day 1 Arrival in Como.
Immediately after the Swiss-Italian border lays Como. Your first accommodation is in Brunate, a small village in Art-Deco style up the mountain above Como. A small road winds up from the city, but the place can also be reached by a little cable-train running up from Como.

Day 2 From Brunate to Alpe del Viceré.
Thanks to the fact that the first lodging is high up, walking upwards is reduced and the view is splendid; on a clear day this first hike offers views on the snow-topped Alps in the north, the flatlands of the river Po in the south and the lake beneath. Walking through beech forests and mountain meadows the track leads to Alpe del Viceré, the meadows where the vice king, (sun of Napoleon) once kept his horses during summer. Walking time from 2.5 to 4 hours. Differences in altitude: up 320m. down 300m.

Day 3 From Alpe Viceré to Pian di Nesso.
Almost every day a choice can be made between day trips of different length or difficulty; today the choice is to go over or around the Monte Palanzone after which it goes downhill to the quiet Piano di Nesso. A varied hike through fields and forests with , of course beautiful views all around. Walking time from 3 to 4 hours. Differences in altitude: up 530m. down 450m.

Day 4 Piano di Nesso.
This little valley is like a kept secret; water is bubbling up from wells, cowbells clink and Giovanni, your host, is making his cheese. A nice spot for a day of rest but if you cannot sit still you can make a roundtrip down to the lakeside or in the mountains around.

Day 5 From Piano di Nesso to Piano Rancio.
Also on this day is a choice which can be made between going over or around the mountain. The mountain San Primo is the highest of the area (1700) so if the whether collaborates , good views are guaranteed. Especially during spring it’s a tour through the seasons, while in summer at the lakeside but near the summit of the San Primo flowers like Helleboris and Crocus are still celebrating the end of wintertime. Walking time from 3 to 5 hours. Differences in altitude: max. up 550m. down 700m.

Day 6 From Piano Rancio to Bellagio / Como / Brunate.
This day the trip goes downhill to the ‘civilised world’. Hiking along meadows, the edge of woods, hamlets and villages, it goes to the village of Bellagio, beautifully situated on the tip of the Triangolo Lariano and therefore called the ‘Pearl of the Lake’. From here a two hours scenic cruise southward brings you back to Como. Walking time 3 +1 hour. Differences in altitude: down 750m.

Day 7 Brunate
Once back in the first lodging you can spend the day in the city; Como has a charming walled centre and is famous for its silk production. Otherwise a last trip by foot can be made, downhill to the lakeside; in the woods enormous stones can be found, caved into mysterious tombs, unknown when made and unknown for whom, Fascinating!

Day 8 Departure
Departure after breakfast on the terrace with a last glimpse on the lake.

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