Alpine Lake District: a treasure set within the Alps
Tour Highlights
Discover the great lakes of Lake Comoand Lake Lugano in Northern Italy. Marvel at the luxurious villas and the lavish gardens which line the shores as you meander along mountain trails. The area is bursting with historical sites and architectural brilliance which can be admired from afar. Mouth-watering local dishes and wines are a plenty on this wonderful Italian walking adventure. Spend your nights in Menaggio which is one of the main towns surrounding Lake Como. Within the city walls, take a stroll along the promenade and marvel at the views of the rugged mountains across the lake. Being your base each day you head out on different walks in the surrounding area including a visit to Val Sanagra nature reserve. On Lake Lugano Porlezza is a charming town surrounded by mountains offering many hiking trails. Whilst here, why not visit the local suburb of Cima which is a regularly visited area for its ruins of ancient walls and fortresses. Follow us on Facebook!
Tour Itinerary
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DAY 1: MILANO/MENAGGIO
Meet and transfer to Menaggio, stroll along the lakeside promenade to view the beautiful villas and gardens, explore the Romanesque monuments and historical castle through the narrow cobble streets.
Dinner and overnight hotel.
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DAY 2: MENAGGIO/REZZONICO
Breakfast hotel. This first days walking is relatively easy on mostly paved surfaces and level ground. Head along the ‘Antica Strada Regina’ which is an old road built by the Romans. It leads along the west coast of Lake Como with fantastic views across the lake. This road is an important connection between Como and the alpine passes. Pic nic lunch.
Dinner and overnight hotel.
Lenght 7.4 km, 200m Ascent -
DAY 3: MENAGGIO/VAL SANGRA NATURE RESERVE
After breakfast, head to an area with wild beauty, interesting and historical cultural traces. From Menaggio the first stop is Loveno which is an impressive village with stunning villas. Continue on to Pianuro where the trail follows the Sanagra stream, a typical alpine water course. Here, we can see several ancient mills and iron foundries. The streams form impressive gorges which we can admire as we stop for lunch. The walk also passes through Barna, a lovely timeless hamlet famous for its Baroque architecture. This is a circular walk which starts and ends in Menaggio.
Pic nic lunch. Dinner and overnight hotel.
Lenght 10 km, 400m Ascent -
DAY 4: BRUNATE/FAGGETO LARIO
Breakfast hotel. This morning we will need to reach the town of Como and then we take the funicular to Brunate which on a cloudless day offers spectacular views stretching across to the Alps! The walk climbs the mountain trail through woodlands across to Pian Del Tivano before finally descending to Faggeto Lario. From here we must catch a public bus to Como and then the public boat back to Menaggio.
Pic nic lunch. Dinner and overnight hotel.
Length 11 km, 350m Ascent, 670 Descent -
DAY 5: FREE DAY
Breakfast hotel. Full day at leisure.
This day offers you the chance to relax and explore the local areas. Why not visit the Grotte di Rescia natural caves a few kilometres from the town; these caves became private property many years ago, but today it is still possible to visit them by asking for the keys from the campsite owner located near the caves. Summer opening hours: from 2:30pm to 6:00pm. Or hire bicycles for a cycle through the natural reserve of the Lake Piano. Bikes can be hired from Hotel Europa.
Overnight hotel. -
DAY 6: MENAGGIO/ASCENT TO MONTE GRONA
Today is quite a challenging day with some narrow and steep paths to climb. After breakfast, we get to the village of Breglia where we start the climb to the top of Monte Grona. Although the walk does become gentler it is a long climb but never too strenuous. This area is extremely wild and we may see some rare and amazing birdlife. Once at the top, we will be rewarded with some of the most breath-taking views of the Italian and Swiss Alps.
Pic nic lunch. Dinner and overnight hotel.
Length 12 km, 980m Ascent. -
DAY 7: CAVARGNA/PORLEZZA
After a brief transfer to the start of the walk in Cavargna, a lovely village set into the mountains, we will start our walk to Lake Lugano and Porlezza. Today can be quite challenging and involves a steep climb on the first section. This route will take us up to 1550m of altitude as we pass by ski chalets and impressive hamlets while the alpine mountain range of ‘Monte Rosa’ can be viewed on this route.
Pic nic lunch. Dinner and overnight hotel.
Length 13.3 km, 500m Ascent, 1280m Descent -
DAY 8: MENAGGIO/MILANO
After breakfast in hotel, according to departure time, transfer to Malpensa Airport.
