Lierna: Hiking Trails, History and Lakeside

Lierna combines a distinctive local history with trails for different hiking abilities and lakeside landscapes. In Castello, a medieval village setting, fortress history and a fountain with iron-rich water come together; at the same time, several trails lead through forests, across panoramic sections and towards Grigna Settentrionale.

Historic Lierna and Castello

The façade of the Chiesa dei SS. Maurizio e Lazzaro church features frescoes depicting its two patron saints, Maurizio and Lazzaro. This makes the church one of Lierna’s specific cultural points of interest. A view of the façade complements a stay shaped not only by the landscape but also by local history.

Castello is a medieval village whose name derives from a castle on a local peninsula that was once an island. Its strategic location made Castello a particularly difficult fortress to conquer. The inner lanes and the façades of some houses have remained unchanged, giving the village its historically distinctive appearance.

Beyond Provincial Road 72, near Castello, there is a fountain with iron-rich water. Further historical and natural-history traces are found in Lierna’s immediate thematic surroundings: remains of a Roman villa attributed to Pliny the Younger were discovered here. Fossils were also found, particularly remains of Lariosaurus, a carnivorous sauropod.

Hiking Trails for Different Abilities

The Sentiero del Viandante is a 45-kilometre long-distance hiking trail divided into four stages. Lierna is the second stage of this trail, which is certified by the Touring Club Italiano. Anyone considering a longer multi-stage hike therefore has a clear understanding of the trail and its connection with the town.

For a more demanding tour, the Sentiero N° 71 Genico-Mezzedo-Alpe di Lierna-Bocchetta di Calivazzo is a long, panoramic hiking trail that overlaps in one section with the high-altitude variant of the Sentiero del Viandante. The Sentiero N° 74 Giussana-Nero-Coria-Ortanella runs partly through forests and partly along panoramic sections. The Sentiero N° 73 Sornico-Predane’-Garze’-Bocchetta Di Palagia, by contrast, is a direct, steep and strenuous ascent to the trails towards Grigna Settentrionale. These differences help you consider a route based on your preferred length, landscape and level of exertion.

Lakeside and Staying in Lierna

The Art Nouveau Villa Besana faces the lake and is surrounded by an extensive park. Lierna also has a particularly attractive and spacious beach in Grumo. Together with the trails and historic sites, this creates a varied picture of a stay: you can include cultural destinations, hiking sections and lakeside landscapes in your daily plans.

For the broader travel overview: Lecco.

More Destinations

More places within the same destination:

Onno, Premana, Limonta, Gisazio, Oliveto Lario, Varenna, Barzio, Taceno.