The Greenway del Lago di Como — Colonno to Griante

The Greenway del Lago di Como is the gentlest way to see the best of the lake. Roughly 10 km of waymarked walking links Colonno to Griante along the western shore, stitching together cobbled village lanes, old mule tracks and stretches that follow the line of the Antica Strada Regina — the ancient road the Romans used along this shore.

Unlike the steep mountain paths above it, the Greenway stays low and close to the water. It passes through Colonno, Sala Comacina, Ossuccio, Lenno, Mezzegra, Tremezzo and Griante, and it is walked comfortably in about three hours if you do not stop — which nobody does, because the villas and gardens along the way are the point. The whole line is broken into stages, and the C10 bus runs the shore road in parallel, so you can walk as much or as little as you like and ride back.

Getting there. Trains from Milan reach Como in about 40 minutes; from Como the C10 bus runs up the western shore to Colonno, where the Greenway begins. Ferries also serve most of the villages en route.

Tickets. The path itself is free. Villa del Balbianello and Villa Carlotta each charge separate admission and keep seasonal opening hours — check dates before you go, as both close for part of the winter.

Good to know:

The walking is easy but not flat: expect repeated short climbs and stepped lanes between villages.
Much of the route is on stone and cobble, which is slick after rain — wear proper shoes.
Finish at Cadenabbia (Griante) and take the ferry across to Bellagio to round the day off.

اليوم 1

Colonno to Griante, then over to Bellagio

Colonno → Bellagio 10 km

التنقّل في هذا اليوم

A single waymarked line north along the western shore, village by village, ending with a ferry hop across the lake.

مقاطع

Colonno to Sala Comacina 2 km 📍 خريطة

Colonno → Sala Comacina

Cobbled village lanes and old mule tracks

The Greenway starts in Colonno and immediately gives you its character: narrow stone lanes between shuttered houses, mule tracks squeezed between garden walls, and sudden gaps where the whole lake appears. Sections here follow the course of the Antica Strada Regina, the old road along this shore. About 40 minutes.

عن هذا المكان

Colonno is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Milan and about 15 kilometres (9 mi) northeast of Como. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 557 and an area of 5.7 km2 (2.2 sq mi).
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صورة: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0
Sala Comacina to Ossuccio and the Isola Comacina view 2 km 📍 خريطة

Sala Comacina → Ossuccio

Lakeside lanes and steps

Out of Sala Comacina the path opens onto the lake's only island, Isola Comacina — small, wooded, and once the most powerful place on the lake before it was destroyed in the twelfth century. On the slope above Ossuccio stand the chapels of the Sacro Monte di Ossuccio, a UNESCO-listed sacred mountain. About 40 minutes.

عن هذا المكان

Isola Comacina is a small wooded island of Italy’s Lake Como, administratively a part of the commune of Ossuccio. It is located close to the western shore of the Como arm of the lake in front of a gulf known as Zoca de l'oli, a Lombard name referring to the local small-scale production of olive oil. In the late 6th century the island was a remaining Roman stronghold under Francio, a subordinate of Narses; though the areas surrounding Lake Como were entirely controlled by the Lombards. The island was besieged for a good deal of time by the Lombards under Authari who released Francio to flee back to Narses' capital at Ravenna. The Lombards found the island to contain "many riches" deposited for safekeeping by local Roman loyalists.
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صورة: Francois Trazzi at fr.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Ossuccio to Lenno and Villa del Balbianello 2 km 📍 خريطة

Ossuccio → Lenno

Shore paths and village streets

Lenno sits on a sheltered bay, and from its waterfront a wooded promontory carries Villa del Balbianello — arguably the most photographed villa on the lake, with terraced gardens dropping straight into the water. Reach it on foot from Lenno or by the short boat shuttle. Allow about 30 minutes walking, plus a couple of hours if you visit the villa.

عن هذا المكان

The Villa del Balbianello is a villa in the comune of Lenno, a province in the north of the Lombardy region of Italy, overlooking Lake Como. It is located on the tip of the small wooded peninsula of Dosso d'Avedo on the western shore of the south-west branch of Lake Como, 1500 meters east from the Isola Comacina. The villa is famous for its elaborate terraced gardens.
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صورة: Emibuzz · CC BY-SA 4.0
Lenno to Tremezzo and Villa Carlotta 2.5 km 📍 خريطة

Lenno → Tremezzo

Village lanes and stepped paths

The route climbs a little through Mezzegra before dropping to Tremezzo and Villa Carlotta, a villa and botanical garden whose grounds are famous for rhododendrons and azaleas in late spring. All of these villages now form the comune of Tremezzina. About 45 minutes on foot.

عن هذا المكان

Villa Carlotta is a villa and botanical garden in Tremezzo on Lake Como in Northern Italy. Today the villa is a museum, whose collection includes works by sculptors such as Antonio Canova, Bertel Thorvaldsen, and Giovanni Migliara; painters such as Francesco Hayez; and furniture pieces of previous owners. The villa, whose architect is unknown, was completed in 1745.
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صورة: Jean-Christophe BENOIST · CC BY 3.0
Tremezzo to Griante, and the ferry to Bellagio 1.5 km 📍 خريطة

Tremezzo → Bellagio

Lakeside promenade, then ferry

A last easy stretch along the water brings you into Griante and its hamlet of Cadenabbia, where the Greenway ends. From the pier the ferry crosses to Bellagio, the village on the point where the lake's two southern arms split — steep stepped alleys, a lakeside promenade, and the best possible place to sit down. About 25 minutes walking plus a short crossing.

عن هذا المكان

Bellagio is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Como in the Lombardy region of Italy. It is situated on Lake Como, known also by its Latin name Lario, where the lake's two southern arms branch, creating the Triangolo lariano. Bellagio's location at the tip of this promontory, looking out across the lake's northern arm towards the Alps, has long been noted for its scenic beauty. Bellagio is part of the Comunità montana del Triangolo lariano, headquartered in Canzo.
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صورة: Luca Casartelli · CC BY-SA 2.0