Walking the Via Verde from Moltrasio to Laglio… The Via Verde runs from Moltrasio via Carate and Urio to Laglio. It is a well-known hiking trail that connects the four villages. The distance is limited to just under five kilometers and the difficulty level is rated accessible.
You can walk the Via Verde in both directions. Start in Moltrasio or start in Laglio. And last but not least, beautiful and inspiring views included. With that information in mind, we are tempted to explore the Via Verde.
We drive from Como to Moltrasio by car. The sun is shining and we are eager to explore this afternoon. But where does the Via Verde walk start from? Where would be the best place to park our car? We search for an answer on various websites but cannot find any clear information. Some passers-by we ask also shrug their shoulders. No problem, we can tell you exactly after today.
We decide to drive to the old church Chiesa di Santi Martino e Agata of Moltrasio and start from there. The winding streets of Moltrasio are very narrow. We drive down carefully. We can maneuver our rental car into a free spot a stone’s throw from the exclusive Passalacqua hotel. Let’s go!
On the Piazza San Martino we take a quick look at Bar Centrale. A friendly lady on the terrace is familiar with the Via Verde. She says that the walk starts in Tosnacco, a hamlet of Moltrasio, a little higher up. Go up the stairs and keep to the right, we’ll get there… Although she also admits that the starting point is poorly or not described at all.
We walk to the impressive Cascata del Torrente Pizzallo waterfall. The water from the Pizzallo rushes down and runs through Moltrasio under several bridges into Lake Como. Depending on the weather, the water can rise considerably. Just ask the Moltrasini, when there is a thunderstorm in the mountains above Moltrasio they clench their butts.
Ten minutes later we arrive at the square in Tosnacco where you will find our favorite Trattoria del Fagiano. We walk across the square on autopilot and follow the asphalt track. Before we realize it, we are standing on the busy Nuova Regina where the cars are speeding past us. Sigh, this can’t be right… Then turn around and go back to the square. We ask Isa, the manager of the trattoria. She takes us by the arm and shows us very precisely the starting point: in the left corner of the square at the top of the stairs, the Via Verde starts in the (car-free) Via Linera! We immediately take the opportunity to reserve a table alle otto at Trattoria del Fagiano.
A first green dot, a second and a third… We left! The Via Verde is a broadly landscaped walking path that winds between the sometimes centuries-old houses. It runs completely parallel with the Vecchia Regina which is located lower down. The Nuova Regina, the busy main road around Lake Como, runs between the two. There are no palazzos or grotesque villas to be seen along the Via Verde. Only simple and robust houses closely packed together. Where life on Lake Como is not a dream but a reality.
The Via Verde runs between the villages like a balcony between olive trees, plantations and gardens. A balcony without a balustrade. The view of Lake Como is beautiful. A blue sky, lightly snow-capped mountain peaks and an enthusiastic winter sun. Lake Como stretches all the way to Como. Gusts of wind roll across the water, propelling sailing boats.
Every now and then we pass a nodding passerby. We are having fun and the two of us follow the winding path while whistling. The Via Verde is a walk without many elevation changes that is very suitable for (little) children. We would not recommend a buggy because of the stairs. But walking – pay attention to the balconies without a balustrade – won’t be a problem.
You can also teach your children some religion if you wish. Along the Via Verde you pass colorful small chapels with paintings depicting the Way of the Cross.
We stop at the panoramic cemetery of Urio. A peaceful place… Via the bridge over the Fesnàa river we continue to the hamlet of Cavadino. The next sight is the Chiesa di Santa Marta. This seventeenth century Romanesque church is located on a hill surrounded by terraces and olive trees. The Via Verde disappears under the main road via a tunnel towards Carate. We continue our walk via small alleys, stairs and narrow passages.
The Via Verde is an accessible walk for young and old, regardless of the season. Put this walk on your shortlist!
The houses are gradually becoming more spacious and the gardens are becoming larger again. You also see the vegetation change to more exotic tree species. The Via Verde descends very gently. Finally, two hours later we are in the Vecchia Regina in Laglio on the shore of Lake Como.
You can’t miss the end point of the Via Verde: a small road on a cove, not far from Villa Oleandra, owned by the American celebrity George Clooney. The contrast is great between start and end point. And now come up with a plan to get back…
We haven’t actually gotten out completely yet and the sun is still shining. We decide to walk back to the car via the Vecchia Regina. If we catch a bus along the way, we can still jump on it. Strangely enough, the buses only drive towards us. So be sure to check your return carefully and do not blindly rely on public transport.
Along the way we treat ourselves to a glass of prosecco and a tagliere salumi e formaggi in Enoteca Millesimo. It’s dark when we get outside. Strangely enough, we don’t feel cold anymore. We walk at a brisk pace to Moltrasio. Just behind the Posta Moltrasio hotel, there are another hundred steps waiting for us that lead to the Pizza San Martino. And so our loop is completed.
Is there a specific path to follow? No! The Via Verde should be seen as a route between Moltrasio and Laglio where you can add a starting or ending point depending on transport or ambition. Do you travel by ferry? Then you can start downstairs in Moltrasio where the ferry boats moor. You can walk up via the streets or stairs and connect to the Via Verde via Tosnacco. Your pedometer is begging for more? From Rovenna, a hamlet of Cernobbio, a hiking trail starts that also seamlessly merges into the Via Verde. Or you can take our starting point at the church of Moltrasio.
We would always recommend not to start immediately from Tosnacco: the Cascata del Torrente Pizzallo waterfall is a beautiful surplus that you would miss. The Via Verde really appealed to us. This You can always put a small walk on your shortlist, regardless of the season.
