Monte Barro – how to get to the mountain top from Lecco? Our second hiking trip by Como lake in Italy.

I just can’t get enough of Italy. I feel great there, I love the atmosphere, the cuisine, the melodious language. And wine and cheese. I love Italian mountains (especially the view from Monte Barro!).

There’s just one thing that pisses me off about Italy.

How can they make two maps of the same place –  each of them looking completely different and none of them reflecting reality?!

For the second time in a bit over a year I arrived to Bergamo airport. I visited the cute town of Bergamo last time and I recommend you to do the same thing if you haven’t yet!

Last time I also went to Lecco by Lake Como to hike Monte Resegone. And even though this time we planned to go to Garda lake instead, for a couple of reasons we chose Como again. The main one being accommodation prices – almost twice as expensive by Garda lake, despite the non-touristic season!

So out of all possible things to do in Lake Como, we went to Lecco, again. And we went hiking again. But I didn’t mind at all. I could do that every weekend. I’d love to get an Italian villa around there (ok, a cottage house works too 🙂 ).

On one of the days the weather forced us to spend a few spontaneous hours in Milan. On the next day it got much better and we climbed Monte Barro, mountain 922 m (3025 feet) high.

For the next trip I will consider choosing another lake nearby – there are some amazing hikes by lake Iseo too!

The accommodation links in this article are affiliate links. This means that if you book a service using my link, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. 🙂

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Lake Como & Monte Barro

Accommodation in Lecco

It’s worth staying in Lecco for a few days to combine exploring the city with relaxation and the attractions offered by the beautiful Lake Como.

I have selected several highly rated hotels and apartments at different price points to make trip planning easier for you 🙂

Villa del Cigno – a charming villa with a garden located in a peaceful area close to the center of Lecco. You’ll enjoy delicious food and relax in a spacious room.

B&B Casa Fortuna – a great option if you’re looking for accommodation with breakfast close to the city center and the lake. In addition to the location, guests are delighted with the comfortable rooms, cleanliness, and good communication with the property owner.

Mascari Charming Suite – a comfortable apartment in a convenient location. Guests appreciate the amenities and the decor of the apartment, as well as the helpfulness of the owners.

Lecco Hostel – a modern hostel offering a wide selection of rooms. Guests praise the cleanliness, excellent service, and delicious breakfasts.

Hiking by Lake Como: Trail from Lecco to Monte Barro

We learnt last time on Monte Resegone that it’s quite difficult to hike in Italy without a map. The trails are not well marked and it is really easy to lose the way.

That’s why this time we immediately went to tourist information on Piazza XX Settembre (Google Maps link here). We took a big pile of maps and information folders thinking that with this equipment we cannot get lost. No way.

How naïve we were…

It should seem strange to me immediately that we got two maps of Parco Monte Barro. Each of them with different trail marks. Each of them with different shape of the paths.

All happy and positive, we took a bus number 4 from Lecco city centre to Malgrate Gaggio (last stop). We walked to the place where both maps said the trailhead should be. And we saw this:

Great start, isn’t is… 🙂 We didn’t get discouraged though, we turned left and followed the fence hoping for a path going up. And we found it! The path wasn’t marked at all but at least the direction was right…

On each trail intersection we looked for signs with no success. I tried to look at the paths on the map – but which map to choose if both of them look differently?

In result, we decided to take the path which goes steeper up every time. Believe it or not, this method worked! After some time I noticed signs on trees (do I have to mention they didn’t match any of the maps? 🙂 )

Eventually we reached a very well marked path which matched one of the maps! From this place on finding the way wasn’t a problem at all because there were signs everywhere. Congratulations, Italians! See, it’s not that hard!! 🙂

If you are afraid of heights, you don’t have any hiking experience or you notice one of the four signs you shouldn’t hike Angels Landing in yourself, you can take path 301 and hike around Parco Monte Barro. The trail offers panoramic views of the lake and isn’t very demanding.

If you are ready for a more exhausting and very steep trail, take path 304 to the top. The views are even more breathtaking – but you have to earn them.

Even though reaching the top of Monte Barro is much easier and a lot (!) shorter than Monte Resegone, there are still places so steep that you need to use your hands.

The whole lake Como isn’t visible from top of Monte Barro but there is an amazing view on the other side. When we were there the sky had colors of the sunset… even though it was noon! Reaching the top took us around 1h 30 mins.

We went down with trail no 302. It’s also very steep at times. We stopped in Eremi di Monte Barro restaurant on our way. We drank a local IPA and it turned out that Italians can make good beer after all… 🙂

From there we took the trail number 301 down. We passed our familiar unmarked part again too. The whole hike took us 4 hours (beer break included!). I strongly recommend you the hike.

If you don’t hike often, make sure to check how to prepare for a hike.

Things to do in Lecco

Below you’ll find some of the most interesting attractions in Lecco. The city offers plenty of opportunities for enjoyable activities, not just outdoors. 🙂

Old Town

The Old Town in Lecco, like in many other Italian cities, is full of charm and historic buildings. Here are a few characteristic places in the Old Town:

• Piazza XX Settembre – the central square in Lecco, surrounded by cafes, restaurants, and shops. It’s the heart of the city’s social life, where you can sit, enjoy a coffee, and watch the passersby. Visiting the Piazza is one of the most pleasurable things to do in Lecco!
• Basilica of San Nicolò – this impressive temple, located on Piazza XX Settembre, is one of the main landmarks of Lecco. It was built between 1662 and 1670 and features a beautiful facade and richly decorated interior.
• Via Roma – one of the main streets in the Old Town, full of shops, restaurants, and cafes. It’s an ideal place for a stroll and shopping.
• Porto di Lecco – the historic port that played an important role in the city’s life for centuries. Today, it’s a pleasant place for a walk, with a view of Lake Como and the mountains in the background.
• Torre Viscontea – a medieval tower that was part of the old fortifications of Lecco. Today, it serves as a museum, showcasing the history of the city and the region.

Como Lake

Thanks to its location on Lake Como, Lecco is an excellent place for water sports such as sailing, windsurfing, pedal boating and kayaking. If you’re looking for outdoor things to do in Lecco besides hiking, then water sports is the right choice.

The water sports equipment rental is located right by the Old Town, on Lungolario Isonzo Street.

Nostra Signora della Vittoria Church

It’s worth going there if you’re interested in art. Even the facade of the church is interesting – its unique appearance is the result of using limestone from Valchiavenna and black granite.

The church houses interesting works of art from the 16th century by Fra’ Gerolamo Codegi: the altarpiece depicting the Madonna of Mercy and frescoes in the second chapel on the right side. In the crypt, the remains of officers and soldiers are kept.

The sanctuary is quiet and cool, the interior is austere. Visiting this church was an interesting addition to my sightseeing in Lecco.

 

I just can’t get enough of Italy. I love the atmosphere, the cuisine, the melodious language. And wine, and cheese. If only they learnt to mark their trails well… 🙂

If you’d like to visit other beautiful places in Italy, check out the below guides:

Attractions in Bergamo for the weekend

Hiking by Como Lake – from Lecco to Monte Resegone

A few hours in Milan – best things to do

Two weeks in Lombardy – ideas & practical tips

 

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