Holiday apartment in Esino Lario: trails, Grigna and local history

Esino Lario combines mountain landscapes, hiking trails and local history. Specific destinations include the Museo delle Grigne, the Chapel of San Pietro and the Church of San Giovanni Battista.

Between the Grigne and Lake Como

Esino Lario is the only municipality located entirely within Parco della Grigna Settentrionale. The park stretches between Lake Como and the Orobie around the Grigna massif, at elevations ranging from approximately 500 to 2,409 metres.

The Grotte delle Grigne comprise caves extending over several kilometres and reaching depths of more than 1,000 metres. The summit of Grigna Settentrionale is a destination for numerous hikes. These include the Ghiacciaia del Moncodeno, a gorge with ice formations that remain year-round.

Hiking trails of varying distances

The Percorso dei santi eremiti is an approximately 7-kilometre round trip through the forests and meadows of Esino to Sasso di San Defendente.

A longer connection is the Antiche mulattiere tra Varenna ed Esino Lario route. It connects Varenna and Esino Lario on foot via historic mule tracks; the ascent to Esino is approximately 6.5 kilometres long.

The Panorama sui monti e sui laghi route is 13.5 kilometres long and can be started at any point in Esino Lario. Piazza Pietro Pensa serves as the reference point. The route offers viewpoints overlooking Lake Como and the Grigna.

Museum, churches and local history

The Museo delle Grigne houses a palaeontological, an archaeological and an ethno-anthropological section across two floors. The exhibits cover the period from the earliest times to the 20th century and include the development of the local area and local society. The museum can be visited by prior reservation and as part of guided group tours.

The Romanesque Chapel of San Pietro is located in the hamlet of Ortanella at an elevation of 996 metres. Its origins certainly date back to before the 13th century. Esino Lario's religious history also includes the Via Crucis, which was created between 1939 and 1940 with fourteen bronze panels set into the chapels.

The Church of San Giovanni Battista is a subsidiary church of Esino Lario and belongs to the parish of San Vittore Martire. It was consecrated in 1565 and first restored in 1635.

Regional specialties and an event in May

The Patata bianca di Esino, also known as Biancona, is part of the local identity. It is a variety of potato traditionally grown in Val d'Esino. Ravioli di Sant'Antonio, also called Patole, is a traditional dish prepared for the Feast of Sant'Antonio Abate in upper Esino Lario, in Crès.

The Esino Skyrace has been organised in May by the Polisportiva di Esino association since 2015 and follows the ridges of Val d'Esino.

Transport between the towns

The D21 municipal bus service connects Esino Lario with Perledo, Varenna and Bellano.

More places for trip planning

You can also extend your regional travel planning to Carenno, Gisazio, Campo, Casargo, Piantedo, Garbagnate Monastero, Lecco and Mandello Del Lario.

Return to the higher-level travel overview: Lecco.