Looking for some tranquility surrounded by nature while in Como? Do not miss Spina Verde Park!
Spina Verde Park is a protected forest located southwest of Como which covers an area of more than 1000 hectares, including the municipalities of San Fermo della Battaglia and Colverde.
With its many sites of panoramic, historical and natural interest, it is the perfect place to escape the hottest hours in summer and enjoy the spectacle of nature throughout the year.
The route I recommend consists of 4 consecutive sections of 15-30 minutes in the western part of the park. Starting from Piazza San Rocco, it will bring you into the local history and traditional dishes of the huts of the area.
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From Piazza San Rocco, where the church of the same name is located, take Via Teresa Rimoldi.
After about a 5-minute walk, at the fork where you will find the Spina Verde Park signs with directions to the castle, turn right onto Via Castel Baradello.
Continue along the paved road, which then becomes a wooded path, and staying along this route you will come across posters explaining the history of the castle. Turn right in the direction of the castle.
Here is what you will find once you reach the top of Baradello hill:
The castle is not always open, but it is possible to visit by reservation thanks to my partners at Slow Lake Como.From here, you can decide to continue with the second short section of the route or whether to retrace your steps back towards Como.
Castello Baradello, the symbol of Spina Verde Park, is a fortification erected in 1558 by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, on the remains of 6th-century Byzantine buildings.
The castle was dismantled in 1526 by Spanish invaders to prevent the French from conquering it, so only a few vestiges remain of the entire complex. The most important are the imposing tower, visible at a great distance in the first basin of Lake Como, and a portion of the defensive walls.
Visits to the tower of Castello Baradello are possible by reservation only: discover the legends about the castle and enjoy the impressive view from its terrace with my friends at Slow Lake Como! They offer a 2-hour tour that will give you exclusive access to the castle and can also include a small aperitivo. Find out about it here!
From the tree-lined meadow adjacent to the castle, turn back to the signs explaining the history of the castle and take the road in front of you.
Follow the path until, after about 10 minutes, you will find the Parco delle Rimembranze on your right. If you have a snack, you could stop here for a moment and enjoy the rejuvenating effect of nature.
After a short but steep climb the path will pass by the structure that used to house Cascina Respaù, an eco hostel now unfortunately closed.
A few minutes from the end of the trail you will have to leave the main path and take a detour to the right that leads to the Respaù hill viewpoint, in my opinion one of the best in this area of Lake Como (when vegetation does not obstruct the view).
From here, you can decide to continue with the third short section of the route, perhaps to go for lunch at the end of the next stage, or whether to retrace your steps back towards Como.
1. Parco delle Rimembranze, a large meadow with various types of plants and a “bowl” shape that limits noise pollution.
2. Respaù hill viewpoint, from which there is one of my favorite views of Como and its lake. Once you get to the viewpoint, you will enjoy a 360° view of Como and surrounding areas. On clearer days, you will also have a chance to see the Alps and the skyscrapers of Milan.
From the viewpoint of Respaù hill, return to the main trail and continue in the direction of San Fermo.
After about a 10-minute walk you will find the archaeological site on the left, which testifies to the presence of the local civilization before the Roman colonization.
Continue another 5 minutes to reach Baita Pianvalle, where you can stop for lunch (check the opening times on Google and be sure to make reservations on weekends).
From here, you can decide to continue with the fourth section of the route, perhaps to go for lunch at the end of the next stage (if you haven’t already), or whether to retrace your steps back towards Como.
The archaeological remains of the pre-Roman settlement found in the Pianvalle area, a short distance from Respaù Hill, testify to the presence of the Golasecca, the first civilization to inhabit the Como area.
In the Protohistoric settlement of Pianvalle, the foundations of juxtaposed dry-stone huts and part of the craft structures used in the Iron Age are still visible.
From the junction located near Baita Pianvalle, take the slightly uphill path leading to the summit of Monte Croce.
Continue, without deviation, on the main path for about a quarter of an hour, until you come across the Baita Monte Croce.
Here there is a small detour that in a couple of minutes leads to the cross of Sant’Eutichio, from which there is a splendid view of the city of Como and the lake.
At this point, after a break in the hut, you can return toward the starting point.
If you want to avoid redoing the whole route, you can also take trail no. 3 from Monte Croce to the Sant’Abbondio area.
Another alternative is to descend back to the junction near Baita Pianvalle, turn right at the fork on via Monte Croce and, crossing the outskirts of Como, reach via Gabriele d’Annunzio where you can catch bus 1 heading to the center of Como.
The cross of Sant’Eutichio, according to tradition, commemorates the place where Eutichio, holy bishop of Como (6th century), retired to pray and do penance, to avert war and famine from the city of Como
6 pax
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10 pax
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