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Walk the Greenway del Lago di Como, Lake Como

Nature & Hiking

Walk the Greenway del Lago di Como

Lake Como · Lombardy

QUICK INFORMATION

CATEGORY
Nature & Hiking
COUNTRY
Italy
REGION
Lake Como · Lombardy
DURATION
A full day for the whole 10 km, or a few hours for a section
DIFFICULTY
Easy to moderate — mostly level lakeside paths with some steps.
BEST TIME
Spring and autumn; summer is hot for walking.

ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE

The Greenway del Lago di Como is a 10-kilometre walking path along the western shore of the lake, from the village of Colonno to Cernobbio, laid out in 2008 along ancient lanes and lakeside paths. It passes through seven villages, past villas, churches and olive groves, and it gives the most accessible way to walk the lake shore — mostly level, well marked, and broken into sections that can be walked in a morning or an afternoon. It is the quiet alternative to the boat: the lake seen at walking pace, from the land.

WHAT YOU’LL EXPERIENCE

What you’ll experience

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

THE EXPERIENCE IN DETAIL

What it’s really like

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

HIGHLIGHTS

Moments worth savouring

01

The villages — Colonno, Sala Comacina, Ossuccio and the others, the fishing villages of the western shore.

02

The Isola Comacina — the island off the shore at Ossuccio, the last Byzantine stronghold on the lake, reached by a short boat.

03

The olive groves — the terraced olives that line the western shore, a legacy of the mild microclimate.

04

Villa del Balbianello — the path passes the promontory of the villa at Lenno.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Good to know before you go

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Before you go

Access
Start at Colonno (reached by steamer) and walk to Cernobbio, or walk any section; the path is well marked with green signs.
Best Time
Spring and autumn; mornings for the shade.
Context
The Greenway runs along the western shore of the lake’s western arm, opposite Bellagio.

MAP & LOCATION

Walk the Greenway del Lago di Como

Walk the Greenway del Lago di Como, Lake Como, Lombardy, Italy

45.9689, 9.2369

Open in OpenStreetMap

ATTRACTIONS NEARBY

Pair it with these sights

Bellagio, Lake Como
Town

Bellagio

The village at the point where the lake’s three arms meet, known as the “pearl of Lake Como” — a cluster of pastel houses, cobbled lanes and lakeside villas on the promontory opposite Varenna.

View attraction
Villa del Balbianello, Lake Como
Historic House

Villa del Balbianello

The 18th-century villa on a wooded promontory at Lenno, with terraced gardens and the museum of the explorer Guido Monzino — one of the lake’s most beautiful and most filmed villas.

View attraction
Varenna, Lake Como
Town

Varenna

A fishing village on the lake’s eastern shore, with a waterfront promenade, the medieval church of San Giorgio and the gardens of Villa Monastero and Villa Cipressi.

View attraction
Como, Lake Como
Town

Como

The town at the southern tip of the lake’s western arm — the lake’s principal town, with a medieval centre, a Gothic cathedral and the funicular up to Brunate for the panorama.

View attraction

MORE EXPERIENCES

More to do in Lake Como

Cruise the lake by steamer, Lake Como
Scenic & Viewpoints

Cruise the lake by steamer

A ride on the lake’s public steamers, the way the lake was meant to be seen — the villas, the gardens and the villages passing from the deck, with the Alps above.

View experience
Visit the gardens of Villa Carlotta, Lake Como
Nature & Hiking

Visit the gardens of Villa Carlotta

The 20-hectare botanical garden of Villa Carlotta at Tremezzo, with its rhododendrons, azaleas, bamboo grove and the museum of the villa’s sculpture and art.

View experience

FOOD & DRINK

Where to eat nearby

01

Trattoria San Giacomo — a beloved local trattoria in Bellagio for lake fish and risotto, no reservations

02

Ristorante La Vista — the terrace restaurant at Hotel Albergo Milano in Varenna, with lake views and refined cooking

03

Al Prato — a quiet garden restaurant in Bellagio for modern Italian cooking, book ahead

04

Vecchia Varenna — a canal-side trattoria in Varenna for traditional lake cooking

05

Gatto Nero — a family-run restaurant on the Brunate hill above Como, with the view and the cooking to match

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HOTELS & STAYS

Where to stay nearby

01

Grand Hotel Tremezzo — a grand lakeside hotel at Tremezzo with a floating pool and gardens, opposite Bellagio

02

Hotel Florence — a charming hotel in the centre of Bellagio, with a garden and a restaurant

03

Albergo Milano — a family-run hotel in Varenna with lake-view rooms and a terrace restaurant

04

Hotel Du Lac — a simple, well-placed hotel on the Varenna waterfront, good value

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NEARBY DESTINATIONS

Continue the journey

Milan

Milan

Lombardy

Bergamo

Bergamo

Lombardy

Lake Maggiore / Stresa

Lake Maggiore / Stresa

Piedmont

INTERESTS

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HikingBeachesHistory

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