Sentiero del Viandante, Lierna–Varenna
A stretch of the old mule track contouring the eastern shore of Lake Como: woods, small stone hamlets and glimpses of the lake all the way to Varenna, passing above Fiumelatte and Vezio Castle.
- Difficulty
- E Hiking
- Length
- 7.4 km
- Elevation gain
- +580 m / −520 m
- Time
- 3–3.5 hours
- Route
- Point to point
- Altitude
- 258–798 m
- Season
- Spring Autumn
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The story
The name Sentiero del Viandante ('wayfarer's path') is recent, but the route follows the mule tracks that for centuries linked the villages of the eastern shore, before the road and the railway. Along the way is Fiumelatte, the shortest river in Italy: just over 250 metres of white, foaming water that switches on in spring and off in autumn, already described by Leonardo da Vinci.
Why go
Because you discover Lake Como from above and on foot, away from the busy road, and arrive in Varenna the way wayfarers once did.
Practical information
- Start
- Lierna (railway station)
- Finish
- Varenna (Varenna-Esino station)
- Best time
- March–June and September–November
- Parking
- Best to arrive by train: parking in the lakeside villages is scarce.
- By public transport
- Lecco–Colico train stopping at Lierna and Varenna: start from one station and return from the other.
- Water
- Fountains in the villages; few along the path.
- Shade
- Chestnut woods for much of the route.
- Huts and refreshments
- Bars and trattorias in the villages.
- With children
- Yes, with children used to walking.
Weather at the start
The forecast for the next 7 days at this spot: sky, temperatures, rain and wind.
Forecast by Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), from the models of national weather services. Your browser downloads it directly from Open-Meteo, and only when you ask. In the mountains and at sea the weather changes quickly: check the official forecast as well before you set off.
What to see on the route and nearby
- VarennaOn the route
- BellagioOn the route
- ★ Isola Comacina8 km from the start
- Villa del Balbianello8 km from the start
More hikes in Lombardy
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- 4★ Monte Isola, the climb to the Madonna della CeriolaE 5.5 km · +470 m · 2.5–3 hours · out and back
- 5★ The Forni glacier trailE 4.1 km · +460 m · 3 hours · point to point
- 6Lake Como Greenway, from Colonno to CadenabbiaT 11 km · +170 m · 3–3.5 hours · point to point
- 7The Via Sacra of the Sacred Mountain of VareseT 3.4 km · +200 m · 1.5–2 hours round trip · out and back
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- 10Laghi Gemelli from CaronaE 10.6 km · +860 m · 5 hours round trip · out and back
- 11Corni di Canzo: from Fonti di Gajum to Rifugio SEVE 10.3 km · +770 m · 4.5 hours round trip · out and back
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Routes © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via Waymarked Trails and BRouter; elevations from a digital terrain model. Times and elevation gains are indicative: waymarks on the ground and closure orders always take precedence.