Trekking over Lake Como
Lake Como outside of Italy became incredibly popular after the news that Madonna and George Clooney acquired villas here. Despite the excellent panoramic views, I personally, like many Italians, do not delight in the lake. Or, in any case, far from such a storm as the nearby Lake Maggiore. However, Como still has one undoubted advantage - there are many more places for trekking.
One of my Vilnius acquaintances recently, at the mention of trekking, remembered groups walking in the local park with “ski poles” and was surprised that such a sport even exists. Fortunately, it has. Luckily thanks to places like Lake Como and not city parks.
There are so many trails above the lake (which here, by the way, is divided into Lake Como and Lake Lecco) that no one knows the exact number. To the peaks, from which stunning views open on cloudless days, both seventy-year-old cheerful old men and groups of young people make their way. Small shelters for climbers in especially picturesque and remote places provide an opportunity to stop for the night and, thus, go to the mountains for several days and meet the dawn surrounded by snow-capped peaks.
The hike up Mount San Defendente, the first of the year, was more of an easy spring walk. The starting point of the route is the town of Varenna, located an hour's drive from Milan and famous for Vezio Castle, located half an hour's walk away. The castle is open for visits and is attractive for performances with birds of prey, which are bred here.
Two hours of walking through the already green fields and forests, drowning in a pile of fallen leaves on one of the last sections, and we are at an altitude of 1326m. The view from here is one of the most beautiful on the lake. The picturesque town of Bellagio is clearly visible - a green cape or a kind of peninsula that divides the lake into two arms: Como and Lecco. The low altitude and proximity to the coast make it possible to enjoy the panorama of rugged coastlines with colorful red roofs of residential settlements.
