Take it easy, look around and reflect
Time: 3.5 hours (Abbadia to Lierna)
Difficulty: this hike is suited to all ages, a great idea for a family day out and a nature trail to discover the area. Spring and autumn are the best seasons to enjoy the magic of these places.
The Sentiero del Viandante is a hiking trail about 45 km in length along the eastern shore of Lake Como from Abbadia Lariana to Piantedo. In the past this walking trail served for communications and trade from one town to another. The Viandante is well signposted and can be divided into stages thanks to its frequent intersections with the Lecco-Colico railway line so that you can do one stage at a time and return to your point of departure by train. It is basically a long walk with short uphill stretches which take you to spectacular viewing points.
The first stage from Abbadia to Lierna is a perfect example of the beauties of this itinerary, full of geological and botanical curiosities not to mention points of cultural and artistic interest: there are testimonials to the religious faith of the local population such as the lovely medieval chapel of San Giorgio; medieval tower houses such as Barbarossa’s tower recall the defence system on Lake Como in days gone by; and then there is the patchwork of fields, vineyards, olive groves, farm buildings and hamlets perched on the slopes below the peaks of the Grigne mountain range.
