Sentiero del Viandante: from Dervio to Colico

It is the longest stage of the entire Path and, certainly, one of the most beautiful.

From the Dervio railway station go up a flight of steps until you meet a cobbled mule track and finally a steep flight of steps that leads to the village of Castello with its 12th century medieval tower.

From here, continue on the provincial road downhill until you rejoin the cobbled mule track closed between two dry-stone walls which runs alongside the highway offering wonderful views of the lake.

The itinerary continues on level ground until it reaches Corennus Pliny, a charming medieval village on the lake shore with an imposing fortified castle built between 1363 and 1370 and the church dedicated to San Tommaso di Canterbury, in which there are frescoes painted between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries.

After visiting Corenno Plinio, the path continues along a panoramic stretch along the provincial road of the lake and then continues on a dirt road that enters the woods crossing meadows and farmhouses until it reaches the church of San Giorgio (299 m) in Mandonico, a hamlet of Dorio .

From the little church, the path slowly gains altitude and in a short time you arrive at the ancient rural village of Mandonico (313 m).

The mule track winds between the houses and, after a flat stretch, gains altitude again offering enchanting views until it reaches the small church of San Rocco (487 m), in the municipality of Dorio, set in a beautiful panoramic position overlooking the lake and the mountains that surround it.

From here you can see Dorio, in the foreground, the village of Corenno Plinio and, more in the distance, Dervio and the mountains in the background, with Monte San Primo dominating the Larian Triangle and finally Monte di Tremezzo.

Shortly after the church, the path continues at high altitude with views of Monte Legnone, crossing the woods of Monte Perdonasco and Monte Sparesee (566 m) from which you can admire the towns of Olgiasca and Piona from above, the Plan of Spain, The lake of Novate Mezzola and the beginning of Valchiavenna.

Continue on a dirt road and descend, first gently and then sloping towards Posallo (420 m).

From Posallo, follow the paved road downhill until you cross the Perlino torrent (425 m) and, immediately after, climb along a path that enters the woods reaching the church of San Rocco (492 m).

Beyond the church, continue along a dirt road and then on a paved road until you descend towards the Inganna torrent (where it is possible to climb and visit the 14th century Torre di Fontanedo) and finally reach the hamlet of Robustello.

From here you can choose whether to complete the path of the Sentiero del Viandante continuing along the coast in the woods until you reach the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Valpozzo in Piantedo, in the province of Sondrio, or choose to shorten the itinerary and descend directly towards the railway station of Colicky.

In fact, the sanctuary is a few hundred meters from the border of the municipality of Colico but, unfortunately, it is located almost 4 kilometers away from its railway station (the closest), so it is necessary to calculate another hour's walk along the Provincial road 72 to go from the sanctuary to the station.

Arrived up to here maybe it's worth making a last effort and reaching the end of the Sentiero del Viandante, what do you think?

We thank the author Manuela Brunello, the blonde with the suitcase for the article, here is her personal Instagram profile. While Road to Lombardy is his page to discover some places to visit in Lombardy.