Bellano: Nature, Culture and Trails on Lake Como

When comparing accommodation in Bellano, you will find different points of interest for planning your trip: a striking gorge on the Pioverna River, trails along the eastern shore of Lake Como, historic buildings, museums, and rail and boat connections. This allows you to tailor your stay around the landscape, culture, hiking, or water sports.

Getting to and Finding Your Way Around Bellano

Bellano is a stop on the Milan–Tirano railway line. Navigazione Laghi also stops here on the boat routes between Como and Colico, as well as in the opposite direction between Colico and Como. These two transport connections are particularly useful for your planning if you do not want to organize excursions and visits exclusively around a single mode of transport.

Hiking on the Eastern Shore of Lake Como

The Sentiero del Viandante runs along the eastern shore of Lake Como and connects Lecco with Colico. From there, a network of hiking trails continues towards Valtellina. The route is 45 kilometers long in total and can be completed in full or in individual stages. The documented division into stages is therefore an alternative planning option to completing the entire route.

Orrido di Bellano and the Landscape Along the Pioverna

The Orrido di Bellano is a natural gorge. It was formed 1.5 million years ago through the erosion caused by the Pioverna River and the Adda Glacier. The route through the Orrido includes stairs and narrow passages. Access with pushchairs and wheelchairs is not permitted; this is an important point to consider explicitly when planning with children or for people with reduced mobility.

At the entrance to the Orrido di Bellano, Ca’ del Diavol is situated above the Pioverna River. The three-storey pentagonal tower combines the striking landscape with a distinctive building of its own. Ca’ del Diavol also offers a VR journey: it follows the course of the Pioverna back to the Grigna, then continues across Lake Como and returns to Ca’ del Diavol.

Churches, Museums and Living Traditions

The Chiesa dei Santi Nazaro e Celso was built between 1342 and 1350 and is Bellano’s parish church. Its façade is characterized by alternating white and black marble bands and by hanging arches typical of Romanesque architecture. In the historic center, the Museo Giancarlo Vitali is part of the BAC tour, the Bellano Arte Cultura tour.

The MUU Museo del Latte e della Storia della Muggiasca, an ethnographic museum, is located in the Vendrogno district of Bellano. It was founded in 2008 to preserve and pass on artifacts and traditions from the Muggiasca area. A particular focus is placed on milk processing. The museum thus complements the architectural and artistic sites with an insight into regional everyday life and material culture.

Pesa Vegia is a tradition held annually in Bellano on January 5 and has a history of more than 400 years. Its origins are most probably dated to around 1605; it is connected with the reintroduction of older units of measurement. For trip planning with a cultural focus, this date provides a clear traditional reference, without allowing general event availability at other times to be inferred from it.

Water Sports with a Long Club History

The Circolo Vela Bellano was founded in 1970. Its range extends from a sailing school to top-level international competitions. The club is therefore one of the documented water sports topics in the area. Whether this offering suits your stay depends on your own planning and the conditions applicable at the time; this does not imply any specific use or availability.

For comparing other destinations as part of your trip planning, you can find Lierna, Fiumelatte, Premana, Taceno, Gisazio, Esino Lario, Oliveto Lario and Cassina Valsassina here.

For the higher-level travel overview: Lecco.