hikes-and-walks near Volta Lighthouse

Photo: Ktulu

Como is Lake Como's largest city where you will find shopping, works of art, churches, gardens, museums, theatres, parks and palaces. Places to go inlcude the Duomo, the Basilica of Sant'Abbondio, Villa Olmo, the Volta Temple and Museum, the Teatro...

Photo: Enrico Colzani

First mentioned the thirteenth century, but excavations, have unearthed remains of a chapel built in eleventh and the twelfth century and rebuilt in the fifteenth century. The bell tower has been dated to the second half of the eleventh century. A...

Photo: Enrico Colzani

Built in the Romanesque period, between the 11 and 12th centuries, but underwent many changes and expansions to its current appearance. It was the first parish church of Molina; over the centuries, the population of this village moved increasingly...

The land where this shrine shrine now stands was once marsh close to the moat that surrounded the walled city of Como. It was barely habitable consisting of miserable hovels and shacks that led a dubious existence. In 1236 the canonical Erasmo...

Church built between 1910 and 1931 in Palanzo, a small village above Faggeto Lario. The short hike affords great views of the lake from a a nearby park....

The building was first started between 1908 and 1912. Luigi Dell'Orto, mayor of Cernobbio for almost thirty years, wanted this church to solemnize his wedding with Elizabeth Lucca. After the war, the building was completed thanks to the heirs, in...

Photo: Enrico Colzani

The construction of the church began in 1791 and ended in 1823 requiring the works of several architects: Clemente Isacchi, Giuseppe Pollack, Giuseppe Bovara and Simone Cantoni. The church hosts a crucifixion of 1879 by Mosè Bianchi and a painting...

Temple of the Shrine dedicated to Our Lady of the Water Sports Prodigy. In a stormy crossing of the Adriatic, on the night of September 12, 1669, the family of Count Antonio Zancaropulo Berardo escaping from Crete, sought shelter in Venice. During...

The S. Cecillia Monastery, built around the middle of the thirteenth century, from 1270 was driven by the Lucini family and support of the Franciscans and the bishop Leone Lambertenghi. The building lies on the Roman walls of the imperial age,...

Situated in the hamlet of Borgo, built on the previous Romanesque building, was the parish from the end of the fifteenth century. A single nave, has suffered repeated rearrangements. Inside frescoes Fiammenghino and an altarpiece of the sixteenth...

Urio, the part of the town that lies south of Carate, is characterized by the Romanesque bell tower of the Saints Quirico and Giulitta church that stands close to the lake. Rebuilt in 1865 from an original Romanesque church with two towers and a...

The church of San Vincenzo in Cernobbio is located in the historic part of the town, in front of Tolomeo Gallio square, a few steps away from the lake. We can date the origin of the church back to 1150, a pastoral visit of Bishop Niguarda that took...

Photo: Enrico Colzani

Built on location of a church dating back to the 16th century, Santi Epimaco e Girdino was completely rebuilt in the second half of the 18th century. The original parish church is located in the lower part of town, near the lake. For this reason,...

Photo: Enrico Colzani

Occupying an enviable position high above the town of Como and Como branch of the lake, the church of Brunate contains a wealth of history and art. The centuries-old history of the church contains beautiful artistic works (the fifteenth-century...

The church of Santa Tecla is near the harbor in a quiet and pleasant; recently restored, in it you can see the remains of frescoes by Bartolomeo De Benzi and Andrea De Passeris. Located on the right bank of Lake Como, Torno preserves the...

Photo: Enrico Colzani

The village contains this interesting church that dates back to the 14th century. It has a fine Romanesque bell tower and a decorated Renaissance portal. An ancient chest behind the altar preserves a precious reliquary, a nail of the Holy Cross....

Photo: Di Geobia

The church was founded in 1300 by two brothers Hermits of St. Augustine from Civilio, a village above Como, on land donated by a family whose members were later buried in front of the presbytery. It is the only example of Cistercian architecture...

Situated in the hamlet of Vignola, along the ancient Via Regina, it preserves its ancient structure in bare stone decorated with small arches. The exterior has remains of Renaissance and late Gothic frescos. The interior is divided into two naves...

Photo: Geobia

Located in the middle of the walled town, the church was built between the 11th to the end of the 13th century and was possibly the first cathedral in Como. It features a complex planimetry including three short naves, provided with women's...

Photo: fabio.gastone

Built on a structure dedicated to Mercury and pagan cults. The first bishop of Como Felice changed the temple dedicated to a Christian church, in which he placed the mortal remains of Carpoforo. Located on the ancient Roman road connecting Como to...

An omni-present feature of Lake Como’s skyline is the Como Cathedral with its white marble facade and imposing dome. The interior is equally spectacular boasting elaborate altar paintings, gargoyles and a magnificent dome. Como Cathedral (Italian:...

Photo: Sailko

The Basilica of Sant'Abbondio is located outside the walls of Como, under Mount Croce, along a stretch of Via Regina that was an important area of ​​worship. The church has two notable bell towers rising at the end of the external aisles, in the...

Fellaria Glacier is located in Valmalenco (SO), upstream of Lake Gera and Bignami Refuge. To reach the lake, from the refuge, you continue following the Marson Glaciological Trail towards the eastern tongue of the glacier.The lake is located in a...

15 minutes to Lake Como going up from Menaggio, the Grotte di Rescia are a series of caves unified to a single complex at the beginning of the 20th century, wind along a tourist route of about 500 mt on the mountain slopes, on the eastern shore of...

“Path of Expression”, which was inaugurated in 2014, goes through the Regional Forest Valle Intel and it is an interesting trail to visit where visitors can encounter along this magical trail between art and nature, many wooden sculptures and carved...

Lago Darengo is a beautiful mountain lake situated at 1790 m. altitude. The ideal starting point is from Crotto Dangri (650 m) above Gravedona ed Uniti, 10 km away from Lake Como and 3 km after Livo village (be carefull on the last 3 km which are...

A hike that starts not far from Como with spectacular views of Lake Como and the Italian and Swiss Alps, Monte Colmegnone (m 1.383) is also known as Poncione di Laglio. The altitude gain of the hike is about 1000 meters. You can reach it from either...

The Gazzirola (also known as Garzirola) 2112 metres, is a mountain of the Lugano Prealps on the Swiss-Italian border. It is a moderately difficult hike in Val Cavargna near Lake Como. This hike rewards you with sweeping panorama over Lake Como (you...

Located on the northern slope of Monti Valletto (m. 2370) and Ponteranica (m. 2378). The construction of the dam, which occurred in the early years after World War II, expanded the lake’s capacity. Part of a popular hike to enjoy the beautiful views...

This waterfall originates from a cave at the bottom of the Palio Costa, near Morterone in Val Taleggio. There is also a popular pool deep enough for those who wish to brave a jump. The Enna can be visited along a spectacular gorge about 3 km long,...

The ice cave of Moncodeno is the most famous cave with glacial deposits in the Lombardia Region (even described by Leonardo Da Vinci). It is the symbol of the whole plateau of Moncodeno with its 1,190 m depth, it is one of the deepest caves in Italy...

Located a few kilometers from Bellagio in the Larian Triangle. Highest of all mountains on the promontory, it offers unparalleled views of the lake and breathtaking panoramas. Along the way you will encounter large boulders (Pitera Lentina) left...

Spectacular views of Lake Como reward your hike to Pilone and Sasso San Martino, the mountain that is directly above the town of Griante. This is an easy to moderate hike. It takes about 1.5 to 2.5 hours to walk to Pilone, and another 45 minutes to...

This cave is located above Tremezzo lasting a little less than half a day and is one of the easiest ones to undertake. The entrance of the cave is reached after 50 minutes of walking while the entire cave (400 meters) takes about 2 hours to...

Jurassic cave located just north of Erba. The entrance is enormous frequently compared to Milan’s Cathedral at about 45 meters in height, 38 wide and over 400 in length. Use of the cave dates back to Paleolithic times as evidenced by flints and...

The white church of San Calimero with its characteristic sloping roof red, is very well known in Northern Grigna. It stands clearly visible looking at the mountains above Pasturo and offers a spectacular view, overlooking the Valsassina, Zuccone...

The valley opens up to display a wide, green landscape that is pristine and wild. You can reach the Sanctuary of Madonna della Neve, symbol of the valley, and a rifugio of the same name where the view opens to the mountain Pizzo dei Tre Signori. It...

The walk of lovers is a short pedestrian path cantilevered over water in Varenna. It affords romantic views of Lake Como, the mountains, and the small village with its colourful houses perched at the foot of the cliff which is crowned at the top by...

One of the most interesting areas in Lombardy from a geological, geomorphological, and paleonthological point of view. Highlights include: Limestone pavement (karstic phenomenon); stratified rocks and caves; "Acqua del Fò", a monumental a...

The Prim’Alpe Visitor’s Centre is the starting point for this interesting trail near Canzo. The hike is easy, even for young aged children. During your trek you will meet elves, gnomes, the drunken donkey and other many interesting figures, together...

An extraordinary natural sight the Troggia waterfall in Introbio Valsassina mentioned by Leonardo da Vinci in his Codex Atlanticus. The Troggia creek comes from Lake Sasso at the foot of Pizzo of Tre Signori and goes on along the Biandino valley...

Sighignola is a mountain of the Como Prealps, located on the border between the Italian region of Lombardy and the Swiss canton of Ticino. A panoramic terrace just below the summit, and directly on the Italian side of the border, provides a...

Crocione in Italian means large cross, and that is what adorns the top of Monte Crocione, a 1641 metre peak directly above the town of Griante. From here you will experience breathtaking views of Lake Como, and the Swiss and Italian Alps....

A gentle hike to the small chapel of San Domenico (800m) which rewards you with a spectacular view of Lake Como and the surrounding mountains....

A prominent natural arch located in Formazione di Esino is a unique opening on the side of a mountain. It is a relic of a previous large karst system in the area that is evidenced by several cavities. The present morphology is due to collapse or...

Monti di Nava (850m), also referred to simply as Nava, is an area of alpine pastures in the mountains above Griante and at the foot of Monte Crocione. It was traditionally used for grazing animals such as cows and goats during the summer months, and...

Monte Palanzone is a mountain 1436 meters high--only second to Monte San Primo in the area. It can be reached in several ways but the most populare is from Como via the funicular to Brunate, location of the lighthouse and centuries old church,...

Hike that follows the course of a river, including potholes, waterfalls and waterholes of rare beauty. Forcing the hiker to numerous fords that, like it or not, they will often cool off your feet, especially during periods when the water flow is...

The San Tomaso Park occupies the lower foothills of the ridge of Corno Birone (1,116 m), Mount Rai (1,250 m), Mount Prà Santo (1,245 m) and the Colma di Val Ravella (939 m). The park offers a beautiful landscape from just a short distance from the...

Il Rogolone is one of the biggest oak trees in Europe. It stands in a clearing in the woods near Velzo. The tree is almost 300 years old is 25 m high and its trunk has a circumference of 790 cm. Il Rogolone can be reached over an easy path either...

The waterfall Cenghen (or Waterfall Valley Monastery) is located at an altitude of about 600 meters above sea level. This waterfall is crossed by the waters of the stream Zerbo and, with a height of about 50 meters. The waterfall is easily reached...

The Bear's Cave or Bear's Hole, is found on the northern extreme of Laglio, in the Torriggia area, at about 400 meters above Lake Como. You arrive by climbing from Torriggia via a mountain path. The grotto is famous for the petrified bones found...

Although it is not the highest mountain in the Lake Como area, the Grigna (pronounced "greenya") is by far the most prominent. For those of you that will be visiting the western shore of Lake Como, especially in the mid lake region, this is the...

One of the most walked and photographed passageways in the heart of Bellagio that is home to fashionable boutiques, restaurants and a variety of shops. This is just one of the many narrow streets that can be explored affording riveting views of the...

Monte Legnone is the highest peak in the immediate Lake Como area. The view from the top is definitely unforgettable. Monte Legnone is 2,610 metres high making it the highest peak in the Lake Como area. It is located at the north end of the lake,...

A spectacular balcony over Lake Como, this hike will reward you with some of the most breath taking views of the lake. Monte Bregagno can be reached by first going to the town of Breglia by car or by bus. From there you can hike to Rifugio Menaggio,...

The Gorge, created by the river Pioverna, is a natural canyon where giant bowls and incredible caves have been carved out by the water over the centuries. A concrete footbridge allows visitors to admire this beauty from an extremely unique location....

The Greenway" is a leisurely and pleasant walk between Colonno and Cadenabbia following traces of the Antica Strada Regina, the antique connection road was built by the Romans. This 10 km long itinerary leads through ancient villages with wonderful...

The “Sentiero del Viandante" is an interesting route dating back to the Roman period, which runs along the eastern coast of Lake Como, from Abbadia Lariana to Piantedo, for 45 km. Fitted out in 1989, this walking path offers those who walk along it...

Situated above the town of Menaggio; from Rifugio Menaggio you can reach the top of Monte Grona (1736 m) from where one can admire one of the best views of the Pre-Alps; if the day is clear enough, many peaks of the Alps from Monviso to Bernina....

Save and share the places you like with friends and fellow travellers.