Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Walking
At first glance one might think there is little in the line of walking to be done around Italy's
northern lakes except for the occasional shoreline promenade. Nothing could be further
from the truth.
Easy Walking
In many towns along the lakes you can simply head for a stroll along the shoreline. Some
of the best include the waterfront promenades in Lugano and Ascona on Lake Maggiore,
Sarnico on Lake Iseo, Salò and Riva del Garda on Lake Garda and Como on Lake Como.
On Lake Como, the Greenway del Lago di Como links Cadenabbia and Colonna, while
on Lake Orta it is possible to walk right around the lake in three relaxed days, and west of
Garda and Bardolino easy, scenic trails snake through the vineyard-clad hills.
In some cases, no more than a couple of hours of walking can bring you to lovely sights
and viewpoints. A 3km walk north out of Riva del Garda leads to the Varone waterfall
(
Click here
)
, or take the old Ponale Road (
Click here
) east out of town for panoramic
views. North of Lake Iseo, the Val Camonica is dotted with prehistoric rock art.
Heading for the Hills
More seasoned walkers have a choice of hikes rising to 2000m in altitude. On Lake Garda's
Monte Baldo, you can hop off at the intermediate station of San Michele and hike back
down to Malcesine. More serious hikers can scale Monte Altissimo (2053m). Likewise,
you can hike up and/or down Monte Mottarone, Monte Brè, Monte San Salvatore, Cimetta
or Cardada on Lake Maggiore.
In Lake Como's Triangolo Lariano, there are more challenging walking options that re-
quire some fitness and preparation. They include the two-day Dorsale hike, which takes
you from Brunate to Bellagio.
Club Alpino Italiano
(CAI;
www.cai.it
)
trails are staked out in a web across northern Italy. You
could search out little-known Romanesque churches like the Abbazia di San Pietro al
Monte on Lake Como or drive up to Monte Bisbino and embark on some high-level walks.
One of the best walks is the Via dei Monti Lariani, a six-day, 130km trail from Cernobbio
to Sorico, which is part of the 6000km Sentiero Italia.
