In Rogaro, above Tremezzo, the walk begins among stone houses and a small village square. The lake is just below, but here the eye is drawn to narrow lanes, a little church and paths heading towards the mountain. It is a good place to begin getting to know another side of Lake Como.
The mountains are as much a part of life here as the water. Villages gather along the shore, with paths climbing behind them through woods, meadows and old rural settlements. On foot, the connections between these places become clearer, even when they seem far apart from the road.
In Rogaro’s square stands the Oratory of Our Lady of Einsiedeln, built in 1733. The Black Madonna to which it is dedicated was brought from Switzerland by local merchants, a small reminder of the links between this village and communities beyond the Alps. It is worth a pause before continuing.
From Rogaro, the walk continues towards San Martino, above Griante. The plan is to walk for around an hour, but there are stops along the way: a walnut tree, a donkey with her foal, a calf resting in a meadow. The first glimpses of water appear between the trees and out comes the phone for another photograph. The time spent on the path matters as much as reaching the top.
As the path climbs, the shape of the lake becomes clearer. Bellagio’s houses gather on the promontory, with the Grigne mountains visible towards the Lecco branch. Light catches one slope and leaves another in shadow. From here, it is easier to see how the villages follow the shoreline and how the water separates mountains that, viewed from below, seem almost to meet.
The sanctuary of San Martino stands at approximately 475 metres above sea level. The church dates from the 16th century, its history tied to a wooden statue of the Madonna and Child which, according to local tradition, was found in a cave in the mountain. It remains a place of pilgrimage, as well as somewhere to pause and look out across the central lake.
San Martino is just one destination to reach on foot. For those looking for a longer route, the Via dei Monti Lariani links Cernobbio to Sorico along approximately 125 kilometres of paths and mule tracks in the mountains on the western side of the lake. Designed by the Como branch of the Italian Alpine Club, it is divided into four sections, which can also be explored in shorter stretches.
Many of the settlements known as "monti" were used by lakeside communities taking their livestock to pasture. These paths were working routes, used to carry goods and move between villages and homes higher up the slopes. Walking them today helps bring that life into focus, away from the lake’s more familiar images.
There is no need to plan a trek lasting several days to make a start. A walk between two villages, a woodland path or a climb to a sanctuary can be enough to get to know an area better. The choice depends on the time available and how much climbing you want to do, with room in the day for stops along the way.
Even a familiar route changes with the seasons. In summer, walkers seek the shade of the trees; on a clear December day, the view reaches the more distant mountains. Light, vegetation and the water level alter the landscape, offering a reason to return to the same path.
That pleasure belongs just as much to people who have lived here for twenty years. You can know a road well without ever having taken the path above it, or pass a village regularly without walking through its lanes. Sometimes a free morning is enough to visit somewhere you have long meant to see.
On the way back from San Martino, Bellagio is across the water again and the mountains return to the background. It is the familiar view, with a few more details to recognise.
For more walks, stories and places to discover around Lake Como, visit Como TV.