The Lake Como Greenway

A trail along the Larian branch, through historic villas and ancient roads

The Lake Como Greenway stands out as one of the most widely covered routes in the Larian area, with seven articles describing its path and the attractions along the way. According to greenwaylagodicomo.com, comozero.it and quicomo.it, the route is divided into seven stages, while all seven sources agree on one key fact: the path starts in Colonno and ends in Griante.

Length and walking times, comparing versions

Sources are split into two camps regarding the overall length of the trail. Greenwaylagodicomo.com, comozero.it and quicomo.it put it at around 10 km, while luoghidavedere.it, saliinvetta.com and lemozionediunviaggio.it give a different figure, contradicting the first version.

There is also no agreement on walking times: luoghidavedere.it and saliinvetta.com cite about 3 hours and 30 minutes for the entire route, a figure contradicted by lemozionediunviaggio.it.

The elevation gain is more consistently reported, with saliinvetta.com and lemozionediunviaggio.it both citing a maximum of 221 metres.

Practical information for those tackling the route

On logistics, saliinvetta.com and lemozionediunviaggio.it note that parking in Colonno costs 5 euros per day. For the return trip, three sources - luoghidavedere.it, saliinvetta.com and lemozionediunviaggio.it - suggest using the ASF C10 Como-Menaggio bus line.

On accessibility, luoghidavedere.it and lemozionediunviaggio.it specify that the Greenway is dog-friendly, provided dogs are kept on a leash, but is not accessible for strollers, bicycles or wheelchairs.

According to a detail reported solely by luoghidavedere.it, the route also features useful ferry stops at Sala Comacina, Campo, Lenno, Tremezzo and Villa Carlotta, as well as equipped picnic areas in Ossuccio, Lenno and Tremezzo.

The historical and artistic heritage along the route

The cultural value of the itinerary comes through in several articles. Greenwaylagodicomo.com, comozero.it and quicomo.it note that the path partly follows the ancient Via Regina. Among the historic buildings along the way, Palazzo Brentano reportedly dates back to the 18th century and Palazzo Rosati to the 17th century, according to both greenwaylagodicomo.com and quicomo.it. The Church of Santi Giacomo e Filippo, according to greenwaylagodicomo.com and saliinvetta.com, is believed to date between the 10th and 12th centuries.

On Villa del Balbianello, greenwaylagodicomo.com and lemozionediunviaggio.it agree that it is open to visitors from mid-March to mid-November, on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Some details appear in only single articles and should be treated with more caution. Lemozionediunviaggio.it reports that Villa Monastero is no longer open to the public, now being used as a wedding venue, and that Villa Balbiano served as a filming location for "House of Gucci" in 2021. Comozero.it, also in isolation, lists the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Soccorso as a UNESCO heritage site. Saliinvetta.com reports that the botanical garden of Villa Carlotta covers around 70,000 square metres and that the Grand Hotel Tremezzo is a five-star luxury hotel.

A route for everyone, in every season

On the overall character of the trail, four sources - greenwaylagodicomo.com, comozero.it, quicomo.it and saliinvetta.com - agree in describing the Greenway as a walk suitable for everyone and enjoyable in any season of the year.

The "greenway of the patriarchs" project in Varenna

A separate initiative, reported only by lecconotizie.com, concerns the inauguration in Varenna of the so-called "greenway of the patriarchs," a route distinct from the Lake Como Greenway and developed over about 10 km between Olivedo, central Varenna, Fiumelatte and Pino. Still according to lecconotizie.com, a joint map of the two routes is expected to be printed in June, while councillor Paolo Ferrara reportedly explained that the name chosen for the Varenna route pays tribute to the town's older residents. Since this information comes from a single source, further confirmation is still needed.