A Guide To Lake Como’s Greenway Trail
Across the lake from Bellagio, a stripe of bare rock angles down the mountainside like a giant arrow, pointing to the town of Lenno and the midpoint of the celebrated Greenway trail. The path alternates between shoreline and hillside sections, sometimes running alongside a road and other times following a pedestrian track. Most of it traces the Via Regina, an ancient trade route adopted by the Romans thousands of years ago. From blockbuster gardens and grand hotels to pastoral hamlets and hidden coves, the trail is a favorite of first-time and repeat visitors alike. Although it’s possible to walk the entire 10 kilometers (six miles) in just a few hours, you could easily spend days exploring all the sights along the way. The only thing missing is crowds.
The Greenway del Lago di Como begins at the lake’s central junction and runs down the northern side of the western leg. It passes through seven villages including the renowned Tremezzina area and provides access to the lake’s sole island. In terms of difficulty, the trail falls between a stroll and a hike. Like most of Lake Como, it has a fair number of stairs and cobblestones. Plentiful blue-and-yellow signs and metal trail markers set in the ground make navigating the Greenway straightforward even without a map.
Getting to the Greenway
Griante and Caddenabia
Tremezzo
Mezzegra
Lenno
Ossuccio
Sala Comacina and Isola Comacina
Colonno
Further Reading
Getting to the Greenway
Officially the Greenway begins in Colonno and ends in Griante but traveling in either direction works fine. Our guide goes from northeast (Griante) to southwest (Colonno), and we’ve marked major landmarks on a Google map.
Lake Como’s ferries stop at multiple points along the Greenway. At the northern end, car ferries serve Caddenabbia and the adjacent hamlet of Griante. Heading down the shoreline, the passenger ferries offer frequent service to the Villa Carlotta, Tremezzo, and Lenno piers. At the southern end, non-express boats stop in the villages of Ossucio (at the Campo dock), Sala Comacina, and Colonno en route to Como Town. For more information on the system, see our Guide to Lake Como’s Ferries.
C10 buses running along the shoreline from Menaggio to Como Town can be an easy shortcut to specific points along the Greenway. However, they often get overcrowded during warmer months. Schedules are posted here.
It’s also possible to take a funicular up from the village of Argegno, then hike down and pick up the southern end of the Greenway in Colonno. See the Colonno section below.
Griante and Cadenabbia
The Greenway’s upper end runs along the shore, past grand estates with views of Bellagio and the central lake. Officially the trail starts at a bus stop by a public beach, north of the hillside village of Griante. Some visitors take the car ferry to the Cadenabbia stop, meander up through Griante, and then follow the Via Indipendenza down to the water and the start of the Greenway.
Perched above the waterfront, little Griante is one of the lake’s more peaceful spots. Tiny alleys mix with open fields, while timeless buildings in soft colors complement the sapphire spread out below. Several churches preside over fields and olive groves. A separate trail leads north from Griante to the Church of San Martino, with a spectacular panorama of Bellagio splitting the lake.
On the waterfront in Cadenabbia, the trail follows the main road past villas and old hotels. Along the way, an eclectic 19th century church built for the Anglicans features alpine patterning on the inside. It takes about 20-30 minutes to walk the flat stretch from the trail’s starting point to the Villa Carlotta.
Tremezzo
At the northern end of Tremezzo, the Villa Carlotta has its own ferry stop, where a pair of mammoth plane trees echo the celebrated specimens across the road. With one of the most spectacular views of the lake, the ferry waiting area is itself worth a trip. The Villa Carlotta has the largest and arguably most famous garden on Lake Como. Dating to the late 17th century, the property also represents some of the region’s oldest extant landscaping. For more information, see our post on Como’s gardens.
The classic resort settlement of Tremezzo anchors the area. The Grand Hotel Tremezzo and other local institutions have hosted the likes of Queen Victoria and Giuseppe Verdi. Non-guests are welcome at the lakeside restaurant/bar, where orange-striped umbrellas surround a floating pool.
Continuing south along the lakeside trail, more restaurants, cafés, and hotels range along the shore around Tremezzo’s main ferry stop. The elevated Teresio Olivelli Park features everything from a monumental staircase and fountain to a volleyball area.
Across the street, a war memorial and a mini-grotto filled with turtles mark the entrance to the San Lorenzo church. The late 18th-century structure unifies a mixture of older architectural styles through color. Local stone in subtle peach stripes makes the facade glow, especially when viewed from the water. Pietro Lingeri, one of Como’s leading Rationalist architects, designed the adjacent cinema in 1950. The Lake Como Landscape Museum (Museo del Paesaggio del Lago di Como), has a collection of antique images of the lake’s landscape and architecture. A multimedia section focuses on films shot in Lake Como.
Tremezzo is the first of four hamlets collectively known as Tremezzina, considered by many to be the most scenic part of the entire lake. The others are Mezzegra, Lenno, and Ossucio.
Mezzegra
Heading south from Tremezzo, the trail runs along the lake before crossing the main road and climbing into the hills. We passed grazing cows and a roadside shrine before hitting the Belvedere di Mezzegra, where a Baroque church and a football pitch command spectacular views. Nearby, the Casa dei Presepi holds a collection of Nativity figures in a coin-operated light display.
A black cross and pebble mosaic mark the spot where Benito Mussolini, his mistress, and a convoy of supporters were shot after trying to escape to Switzerland. The dictator’s death inspired much controversy; his corpse would later be stolen and hidden in the Certosa di Pavia monastery near Milan.
Walking the trail from the edge of Tremezzo to the beach at Lenno takes about 35 to 40 minutes.
Lenno
The Greenway drops back down to the shore in Lenno, where a public beach (spiaggia) skirts the gardens of the Hotel San Giorgio. As with all such spots in Como, there’s no sand. Instead, it features a grassy area with expansive views, followed by a long stretch of pebbles. The hotel maintains a snack kiosk for spontaneous picnicking, and there always seems to be at least one dog having the best day ever.
Tucked behind the wooded hill jutting into the lake, a cozy cove with assorted small boats forms one of Lake Como’s most relaxed harbors. A promenade runs around the shore, lined with umbrella pines and benches. Besides several spots to enjoy a drink, the harbor has restaurants ranging from a casual pizzeria to fancier fare as well as the all-important gelateria.
Colorful palazzos line the water near the peninsula, most sporting the stenciling typical of the region. A small piazza connects the water to the road, providing a backdrop for the Chiesa di Santo Stefano. Built over the remains of ancient Roman baths, the church stands out primarily for the way other buildings encroach upon it from all sides. Across the square, the 11th-century octagonal Baptistery is a sweet little Romanesque structure topped by a simple dome.
At the edge of the wooded peninsula, a ticket office marks the path to the Villa Balbianello. Even by Lake Como standards it’s an extraordinary site, albeit a heavily-trafficked one. For more information, see our Guide to Lenno.
Ossuccio
After passing between some grand estates, the Greenway runs slightly above the shoreline in the hamlet of Ossuccio. The upper portion of a spectacularly quirky top-heavy belltower (belonging to the 11th-century Santa Maria Maddalena church) pops up from below.
The trail rejoins the water at the flower-strewn promenade in the middle of a little bay. It features another 11th century church, the San Giacomo a Spurano, this one topped by an asymmetrical structure for the bells. Local Rationalist architect Pietro Lingeri’s renovation emphasizes the interior’s luminous austerity.
Sala Comacina and Isola Comacina
Lake Como’s only island lies just off the shore between Ossuccio and the town of Sala Comacina. With Roman ruins, a medieval monastery, and a series of 20th-century artists’ cabins, Isola Comacina is a destination unto itself – and it also gives the nearby hamlets a distinctive feel. Tucked behind its lush green slopes, they have the air of a refuge, timeless and unspoiled.
Further down the shore, a magical little harbor announces the village of Sala Comacina, with plenty of atmospheric lanes to wander. The settlement stretches up winding stone lanes into meadows and olive groves, with tiny bridges crossing seasonal streams. Sala Comacina is the largest of the hamlets behind the island, with several little piazzas and a number of spots to enjoy a meal.
Taxi-boats and ferries shuttle to Isola Comacina in warmer months. For more information about the island and how to get there, see the website.
The Greenway runs along the water behind the island, passing through the village before climbing back into the hills towards Colonno. Walking from Lenno takes anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours depending on how much one stops to savor the scenery.
Colonno
Sleepy Colonno is the least-touristed spot on the Greenway: its medieval lanes were deserted when we passed through on a sunny day in September. The hillside slopes steeply right down to the water, so the village was built on narrow terraces.
The Greenway ends south of Colonno, where the pedestrian path along the road vanishes. Those planning to begin the trail trail here instead of ending it can consider taking the ferry or bus to Argegno instead. From there, a cable car makes one of Europe’s steepest ascents to the village of Pigna, where a renowned two-hour hike descends the mountain’s other side to the Greenway. The walk from the trailhead to Sala Comacina’s beach takes about half an hour.
Resources and Further Reading
Official website: Greenway del Lago di Como
For more Como, see our other posts:
A Guide to Lenno, Lake Como’s Most Idyllic Town
Lake Como’s Most Extraordinary Gardens