Itinerari consigliati a piedi nei dintorni di Menaggio con piantina

LAGO DI PIANO 7The small Lake Piano, situated in the Val Menaggiobetween Lake Como and Lake Lugano, is a protectednatural oasis and is a breeding place for manytypes of water birds. The easy trail leads along thefoot of Monte Galbiga through woods and fields.You will also follow part of the ex trainline Porlezza- Menaggio suppressed in 1935 and now convertedinto a cycle and foot path.- starting point: La Santa 377 m (5 km fromMenaggio)- Menaggio - La Santa by bus: line C12- total walking time: 3.00 hrs.- ascent: almost none - ideal for children- trail signs: red-white-red painted signsaround the Lago di PianoRoute: From the bus stop La Santa, cross themain road. Just pass the little church La Santatake the path/stairway to the left which leadsdown to a crossroad. Follow the sign for BeneLario. Ignore the cart track to Portaiola AntichiMulini and pick up the road leading uphill toPiazza Comunale. Then follow Via Cavourwhich leads to Piazza Garibaldi. Here you pickup Via del Torchio on the right, which soonbecomes a cart track. It leads to the old washhouse Lavatoio del Lembra and from there toAntichi Mulini (sign). Here begins the protectedoasis of Lago di Piano (sign and map). Continueto the left. The cart track becomes a path withview of a large reedy area. You soon reach thesouthern shore of the lake, which you follow forabout 500 m. You then reach a private propertywith a not very evident fencing and here youpick up the trail going uphill to the left, whichafter 50 m ends, on a large cart-track; turn right.You pass the Naturalistic Observatory with acentre dedicated to the reception and care ofwild fauna in difficulty, a botanic walk and alaboratory pond. You soon arrive at the closeddown camp site ok la Rivetta, where we recommenda stop on the little public beach. Continueca. 200 m on a tarred road and then turn right.After ca. 500 m you see Castel San Pietro up onthe right. Follow the alley way leading up to theold settlement with its houses clustered close toeach other and with only one entrance closed bya gate. The stone wall, the small arched windows,the narrow passages give the idea of a fortress,how it used be in the Middle Ages. On theother side of the fort you pick up a large carttrack which leads among the fields and thenenters the woods. The track eventually becomesa trail that descends to the promontary calledBrione. Here the trail continues left and bypassesan area with canes and ends on a cycle/footpathwhich you follow to the right. This path followsthe itinerary of the ex train line betweenPorlezza and Menaggio suppressed in 1935 andnow converted into a cycle and footpath. Thecontinuation as far as Menaggio is foreseenwithin 2012. Soon you reach the Casa dellaRiserva with picnic tables, an information officeand a small eco-museum. At the Casa dellaRiserva you can hire out rowing boats andmountain-bikes tel. 0344 74961. From here followthe lake and just past the entrance of campsiteRanocchio, turn right in order to continue onthe cycle/footpath in the direction of BeneLario. At the end of the cycle path you reach thecrossroad you passed at the beginning of thiswalk and you follow again the steps to the left inorder to return to the bus stop at “La Santa”.