The Viandante Trail - A Route Waiting to Be Discovered

My train was almost half an hour late and now I was trying to make up for the delay. I had planned to have a coffee by the lake, but I was too late, so I found a bar on the street instead. I had a classic brunch, thinking a few extra calories wouldn't hurt. The beauty of the walks around Lake Como is indescribable. Essentials I needed: water, a sandwich and a good mood! I had thought about bringing my mountain bike a while ago, but it turned out to be easier without it here. The stone path I passed was very narrow.

I love watching the courtyards of other people's gardens. Pomegranates, avocados, pears and apples... This is where my adventure began: I left from Colico station by train and arrived at the Viandante trail. The most interesting part was ahead, as I planned to follow the trail south towards Varenna. I hoped to be there by evening.

Many forests in Italy are well-maintained. For example, here the trail is marked with ceramic or metal signs that read Viandante. I would describe the Viandante trail as a small eco-park because, aside from forests and plants, many different animals can be seen here. For instance, right at the edge of the forest, you come across an old inn. It really feels like a fairy tale path: wooden structures, moss-covered stones and ferns. It’s said that this path has existed since ancient times, though there’s no document to confirm it. In any case, travelers, merchants and pilgrims on sacred journeys have walked this path for many years.

Years ago, it didn't even have a name. Now it’s called Viandante, but this name only has about a 30 year history. In fact, Viandante translates to traveler. So, Viandante trail means Traveler's trail. Nothing particularly special, but it sounds nice. Tree roots weave around the stones, creating our path and solid steps.

I saw an open door. It was a bit spooky, but I decided to take a look. The house was made entirely of stone and the roof was covered with stone too. Only the beams were wooden. Outside the house, there was a staircase that seemed to lead to the upper floor. I felt like I was in a hobbit forest town. Then I saw another house.

The trail continued uphill. Here at the top, beautiful ruins were found. In fact, around the mid 14th century, one of Milan's co-rulers Bernabò Visconti, built a tower at a strategic point above the lake to protect the surrounding settlements. Of course, observations were made from the towers and signals were given when enemies approached. The settlement around the tower, surrounded by walls, had bakeries, stables, haylofts and a well. Naturally during times of peace, communication with nearby villages was maintained.

Meanwhile donkeys were the main means of transportation back then and the roads were planned according to these animal's movements. I wanted to stay here for a week, sending signals with birch branches and keeping watch, but it seems I’m about 600 years late... The ruins inside are wrapped in trees and plants. Once, you could watch the lake view from this window. Of course, you still can, but it’s hard to call this place a home. It’s a cozy resting spot for travelers. Most buildings are abandoned and still waiting to be restored or at least preserved. The tower, however, is the best-preserved, as it has withstood not only enemies but also time.

In the afternoon I arrived at the Church of Sant'Elena Fontanedo. This was once a town. People used to live here.Well, they still do, but they come only in the summer. The climate difference between the southern and northern parts of the lake is striking. In Como in the south, I saw strawberries in late spring, at the very beginning of summer and now, in the cold season, there were unexpectedly red berries high up in Colico.

A common phenomenon in Italy is the niches that house Madonna statues or as in this case, stand-alone structures. To help us understand how important these Madonna statues in niches are, someone built a stone niche right in the middle of the forest and placed a Madonna and Child figure there. A rather steep descent led us to the river.

The water was very clean, clear, but cold. And that was unexpected! After walking several kilometers, wading through the cool water to refresh my feet and then continuing with renewed energy was a great idea. In addition to the signs and markings on the trees, there were also orange arrows. These marked everything, including our path the Viandante.

The churches in the mountain villages have a unique charm. They are mostly built of stone, small and somewhat reminiscent of homes, but being nestled in nature makes everything even more beautiful. And here, I found the fairies house. I learned the story of the house from a wooden book hanging on the wall: Once there was a giant chestnut tree here and travelers passing along the Viandante would rest in its shade. But then, a storm came and lightning struck the tree. Sadly the tree burned down and the owners had to cut it down, leaving only a stump behind. A local woodcutter named Stefano saw this stump while passing by and asked the landowners for permission to fulfill an old dream of his. And so, he got to work. He gathered fairies and dwarves from the forest and built them this shelter…

The village was quite lively and the other houses and plots were well-preserved. It was already evening and the sky was covered with clouds, while I had only made it halfway through my planned journey. Wandering through a gloomy forest in the dark was definitely not part of my plans! Luckily, the village of Dervio wasn’t far and there were some trains passing through from there…