Brunate - Bellagio Ridge
In the heart of Triangolo Lariano you will walk an exciting route with a length of no less than 30 km that will take you across the entire Brunate ridge!
You can also decide whether to divide the trail into several stages or finish it in one day with about 9-10 hours of walking at medium pace. If you are an avid mountain biker, the trail is conveniently passable from Brunate to the top of Mt. S. Primo on your two-wheeler! You will also discover the elegant Brunate! A municipality on Lake Como protagonist of the elite tourism of yesteryear from which it took its Art Nouveau and Eclectic architectural elements!
You will leave by taking the beautiful and historic funicular, at the end of the line you will climb the steps to the square of the Church of S. Andrea and follow the signs to S. Maurizio and S. Rita at the C.A.O. taking the pedestrian path. With a small detour from the path you will be able to visit the Voltiano Lighthouse: built in 1927 and designed by engineer Gabriele Giussani. The Lighthouse is a gift of the city of Como to the genius of its citizen Alessandro Volta 100 years after his death. The Lighthouse has an octagonal plan and a 29-meter-high tower that dominates the entire valley below.
Then leaving S. Maurizio on the right, you will take an uphill mule track that leads into the C.A.O. square and take the carriage road. The path you will follow is immersed in the woods among mountain huts and scenic squares to enjoy a unique view of the Maritime Alps and the small Montorfano lake, peculiar for its rounded shape. At the fork you will stay on the left following the signs for the "Dorsale" until you reach the Molina pass.
You will then follow the signs for the "Beech Trail" through a forest of ancient beech trees that will take you to the Lemna vent. You will then reach the Palanzo Mouth. At the fork you will continue to Rifugio Riella, then left, and you will arrive at Colma di Sormano where a visit to the observatory is strongly recommended: in addition to equipment for studying the sky, there is also a small asteroid museum! You will then follow the signs for "monte S. Primo - dorsale": toward "dorsale" if you would like to continue on the lower path and toward "monte S. Primo" if you would like to walk along the ridge. In both cases you will arrive at Mt. S. Primo to enjoy fascinating views of the lake and valleys.
You will then begin the descent to Rifugio Martina where you will continue straight through the woods and arrive in the village of S. Giovanni, two kilometers from Bellagio. By public transportation or batteli you can finally return to Como.