On foot in Lombardy

8 itineraries to discover Lombardy on foot. From Lake Maggiore to Val Camonica, and from Pavia to the heart of Val Masino.

Families with children or more or less experienced hikers: it makes no difference. From north to south and from east to west, Lombardy is crisscrossed by a multitude of paths for walkers of all sorts.

Amid ancient kilns, or mountain huts way up high, old pilgrims’ ways and paths for wayfarers, here are eight itineraries in Lombardy dedicated to those who love to explore the landscape at a slow pace.

Kilns Circuit | Lake Maggiore — The route follows the shores of Lake Maggiore. It is just over 6 km long and starts from Ispra and also includes a beautiful beach of large pebbles. Along the way there are a number of old kilns that produced lime, to fertilise in agriculture, for construction and also for the ceramics industry to which Cerro di Laveno Mombello has dedicated an entire museum.
Ph ig: @eispragram

The Alta Via della Valmalenco | Valmalenco — 110 km in 8 stages. In the heart of the Rhaetian Alps, the Alta Via della Valmalenco crosses the Disgrazia, Bernina and Scalino massifs at an altitude always above 2,000 m and in a unique setting, amid pastures, woods and lakes. The Via can be followed in its entirety from Torre Santa Maria to Caspoggio, returning to the starting point, or for partial sections of just 2 or 3 days.
Ph: Rifugi di Lombardia (www.rifugi.lombardia.it)

The Via Francigena | From Garlasco (PV) to Pavia — Stage 13 of the Via Francigena, the ancient pilgrim’s way from Canterbury to Rome, starts from Garlasco and arrives in Pavia, after passing through 25 km of the Pavia countryside with its villages and beautiful countryside, irrigated by numerous canals and dotted here and there with farmhouses and groves of trees. In the last stretch, the route runs alongside the river Ticino as far as the Ponte Coperto (Covered Bridge) of Pavia.

Strada della Forra | Parco Alto Garda Bresciano — The Forra is reached from the Gardesana Occidentale state road. On arrival, you will see the plateau of Tremosine, marked by hills and valleys overlooking the Garda at an altitude of between 400 and 600 metres above sea level. The walk is 5.8 kilometres long. It takes about 2 hours to follow on foot. The promise? A memorable view over the lake at the heart of a nature that is still wild.

Alta Via dell'Adamello | Valle Camonica — Path no. 1 of Val Camonica passes through the Parco dell'Adamello for 85 km amid the traces left by the Great War. We start from Breno and in 7 stages and as many mountain huts, arrive at Edolo. The duration of the stages varies from 4 to 8 hours of walking, sometimes arriving at an altitude of over 3,000 m above sea level. To tackle Path no. 1, walkers must be in excellent physical condition and be equipped with suitable mountaineering equipment.
Ph: Wikiloc / Bruno196

Il Sentiero del Viandante (The Traveller’s Way) | Lago di Como – Val Masino — An interesting itinerary dating back to Roman times, it was once the only means of communication for the villages on the eastern shore of Lake Como. Following the lake from halfway up the hills, it offers the opportunity to enjoy a few hours of peace in nature. The path, once a route from Milan to Switzerland, covers a length of about 50 km, which can be covered in several stages. It starts from Abbadia Lariana (LC), near the church of S. Martino and arrives in Morbegno (SO).
Ph: Wikimedia

Abbazia di Morimondo Circuit | Morimondo (MI) — The starting point is the beautiful Cistercian abbey of Santa Maria di Morimondo from which, walking through the woods and poplar plantations of the Milanese countryside, one can reach the churches of Santa Maria Nascente at Coronate, San Cristoforo at Basiano, San Giorgio at Fallavecchia and San Michele at Besate. The walk is just over 16 km long. On the flat, it is suitable for all.

Forcella-Molere path | Lago di Iseo — The path winds for just over 5 km through the woods along the crest of the hill behind Sarnico, at an altitude of about 400 m. Restored along its course, it represents the main axis of a network of routes that continue from the Forcella area to the municipalities of Predore and Viadanica. Along the way you can observe the coppice woods, the outflowing stream from Lake Iseo and the Oglio river. The route ends at Cerro Alto, near Castione.
Ph: Wikiloc / Cesare60

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