Stats, trail tips and important information regarding this trail are located at the bottom of the blog post. Unless explicitly noted, all pictures in this blog are owned by me and should otherwise not be used without expressed written consent.
It goes without saying that Lake Como in Italy has a euphoric level of beauty: the beautiful blue waters, the surrounding mountains, the historic buildings, the delicious food, the flowers in bloom. Hiking here makes for a sensory experience.
We hiked Lake Como in late March. Although we just missed the wisteria blooms it was still breathtaking. We began by parking at the Lago di Como Greenway parking lot. It’s a few steep, paved switchbacks but there was parking available thankfully. The parking pay terminal though was a huge PITA! We learned some Italian before we visited Italy, so chalk it up partly to a language barrier. But this terminal refused to take our money! We eventually paid to park in a parking garage nearby in Sala Comacina.
Some hikes are what I call destination hikes, reserving the best views for the top of the mountain, or the trail end to a waterfall. This is absolutely not one of those hikes. There is beauty throughout the hike. The first stunning view was at the Chiesa di San Giacomo…
Wow. Just wow. This church (chiesa) was built in 1169. There were people visiting the church due to the Easter holiday so we didn’t take interior pics out of respect.
The hike contains what appears to be quite a few private-owned and historic residences along the water. The trail is a cobblestone walkway with old stone walls lining it. You’re able to get glimpses of the beautiful grounds at times. Here are some pics of the trail and glimpses of the residences on the hike…
This area of the walk feels magical. There are also some notable villas along the hike such as Villa Balbiano, the famous Villa del Balbianello and Villa Carlotta.
In several parts of the hike you’re able to walk right by the water which was glistening to reflect the sun…
This row of photinia frames the lake/grass separation well I thought…
This fascinating nativity scene museum was along the way (but closed)…
This wrought iron window in a villa wall peaks out at the Lake Como mountains across the lake. I find it super cool…
Check out this fountain in Tremezzo towards the end of the hike…
We wrapped up the hike with lunch at Cantina Follie, a fantastic wine and charcuterie cafe with a friendly owner and reasonable prices. And of course the wine was amazing. It can’t not be in Italy. What a unique and amazing hike.
There were several attractions we weren’t able to see so I’m sure we’ll be back. But this was still an amazingly beautiful and interesting hike.
Actual Distance/Time: 6.8 miles in 4 hrs 17 min (includes lunch)
Typical Hiking Trail Distance: 7.1 mi
Calories Burned: 800 (Estimate; I was an idiot and left my watch charger in the U.S. No Pixel Watch charger in Europe 😕)
Trail Type: Point-to-point
Trail Features: Historic manicured gardens, small Italian villages, lake views, castles, mountain views, churches
Best Time to Hike: mid-April to mid-May
Difficulty Rating: 7/10
Trailhead Coordinates: 45.9558371, 9.1500831 (flowers in full bloom)
Trail Tips:
- Parking/Payment: The parking payment terminal at the parking lot is mindnumbingly frustrating. I have no obvious solutions but to be patient and keep trying or park in nearby Sala Comacina.
- Dining Options: There are several restaurants on this route so you won’t leave the hike hungry.
- Explore: Detours are easy to do because the trail is well-marked.
- Villa Tour Planning: If you want to tour Villa del Balbianello, plan way ahead. We thought we could wait in line as it opened. But that huge, long line was for people who already had tickets. 😕 Purchase tickets ahead of time.