Spectacular Hiking in Lake Como, Italy – A Photo Blog

Spectacular Hiking in Lake Como, Italy

This winter, we were lucky enough to find some super cheap flights to Milan, Italy, for the weekend. So, we thought, why not! Not being huge city fans, we decided to take the 40 minute train to the town of Como and explore the famous lake. Despite the area being home to celebrities and the super rich, we had other ambitions for our trip. We had planned a day of hiking in Lake Como to explore the surrounding mountains and take in some of the famous lake views.

The Brunate Funicular

We started by walking to the Brunate Funicular near the centre of town. This little train has been running since 1894 (not the same one) and took us up nearly 1,100m to the village of Brunate. A return ticket was €6 and was totally worth it as it made our hike a lot more enjoyable.

The ride up gives you a really nice view over the town of Como. The track is steep (up to 55% incline) making it pretty fun. Unless you’re afraid of heights.

When we reached the top, we took a brief look around Brunate before setting off to find the Faro Voltiano lighthouse. As it was early March, the town was pretty quiet and it was really nice to see how the town works without all the tourists. There is a lot of interesting architecture in the area so we spent a bit of time exploring before we hit the hills.

The “Faro Voltiano” (Volta Lighthouse) was built in 1927 and seemed like it might be worth a visit while hiking in Lake Como. We walked up a pretty steep incline for about 50 or 60 minutes before reaching the lighthouse. En route we passed by a few interesting buildings and saw only few other people. It definitely wasn’t a 50 minute walk, more like 30 minutes if you don’t get as distracted as we did…

The Volta Lighthouse

Upon reaching the lighthouse, we were delighted that we could actually climb up to the top! This added an extra 29m to our altitude. We paid a couple of euros each and started climbing the steps. The building itself was pretty interesting but we really appreciated the views from the top!

Even from the bottom of the light house there is a really spectacular view point over looking the southern portion of the lake.

We set off along another trail. There are many and they are very well signed and maintained. We walked for a while admiring the early spring views. The sky was a little overcast and the air still had a chill but it was dry and good weather for hiking.

Hiking in Lake Como – Time for a Break

After a while, we realised we were hungry and stumbled upon a traditional old restaurant. We only stayed for coffee and cakes but it was a nice pit stop. The owner and staff were really friendly and the homemade cakes were delicious!

We had one chocolate and pear tarte and the other was traditional cake from the area made with raisins, nuts, pear, rosemary and had a crumble on top, delicious!

After our quick break we carried on the trail for a little while longer. Admiring the bright spring flowers that were beginning to emerge after a cold winter.

The walk back down was really pleasant. This particular path was not as well maintained but really not an issue. We were also pretty excited as our next stop was…the pub…to watch Scotland play Italy in the 6 Nations. That’s rugby, for anyone who is now totally confused.

We arrived back at the Brunate Funicular and rode the train back down to Como. From here, we began our search for somewhere to watch the “big game”.

Practical Tips for Hiking in Lake Como

Here are a few practical tips that you need to know before hiking in Lake Como

1. Good footwear is essential for hiking in Lake Como
2. Wear weather appropriate clothing. It can get pretty chilly in the winter and early spring.
3. Check the weather before you set off.
4. If you visit off season, many places will be closed or have restricted opening times. However, this might be beneficial if you fancy a quieter, more relaxing hike.
5. Take water and snacks with you
6. If you are staying in Como, apparently the area around the train station can be a little sketchy at night. Our Air BnB host even picked us up as we arrived late.
7. There are loads of good restaurants in the town of Como. Don’t miss the good food and drink (and ice cream)
8. Follow the hiking mantra – Leave No Trace

Hopefully this provided you with some hiking inspiration. We have definitely been to more beautiful destinations, but Lake Como was certainly worth a visit, even in the winter! We really enjoyed it and would certainly recommend it. If you have more time, there are many longer hikes you can take such as the trek to Mount Piatto. This will allow you to spend a few days with nature and recharge before you head back home.

We teamed our hiking day on Lake Como with a city day in Milan. The “capital” of northern Italy is only a 40 minute train ride from the town of Como on the southern shores of the lake. This combination made for a really fun, exciting and adventurous weekend.

Where to next?

Enjoying Italy? Maybe Venice will be your next stop? Check out our blog 9 + AMAZING, AUTHENTIC VENICE EXPERIENCES for some inspiration.

For more hiking ideas, click HERE to check out our other hiking blogs.

Looking for something a bit different? Maybe consider Albania for fantastic hiking, history, culture and food. Check out some ideas HERE.

Have you visited Como or Italy? Are you planning a trip and need more information? Drop a comment in the box, we’d love to hear from you!