www.menaggio.com

LAGO DI PIANO

The small Lake Piano, situated in the Val Menaggio between Lake Como and Lake Lugano, is a protected natural oasis and is a breeding place for many types of water birds. The easy trail leads along the foot of Monte Galbiga through woods and fields. Very interesting is the Castel San Pietro, a medieval fortified rural group of houses on the penisola "Brioni".

- tarting point: La Santa 377 m (5 km from Menaggio
- Menaggio - La Santa by bus: line C12
- return: from Piano di Porlezza
- Menaggio by bus line C12 - time: 2.15 hrs.
- ascent: almost none - ideal for children
- some signs

Route
From the bus stop “La Santa”, cross the main road and pass the little church “La Santa” on the left side. Take the path / stairway to the left which leads down to a crossroad. Follow the sign for Bene Lario. Ignore the cart track “Portaiola antichi Mulini” and pick up the road leading uphill to Piazza Comunale. Then follow Via Cavour which leads to Piazza Garibaldi. Here you pick up Via del Torchio on the right, which soon becomes a cart track. It leads to the old wash house “Lavatoio del Lembra” and from there to “Antichi Mulini” (sign) (old mills). Here begins the protected oasis of Lago di Piano (sign and map). Continue to the left. The cart track becomes a path with view of a large reedy area. You soon reach the southern shore of the lake, which you follow for about 500 m. You then reach a private property with a not very evident fencing and here you pick up the trail going uphill to the left, which after ca. 30 m ends, on a large cart-track; turn right. You soon arrive at camping site “ok la rivetta” where we recommend a stop on the little public beach. Continue ca. 200 m on a tarred road and then turn right. After ca. 300 m you see “Castel San Pietro” up on the right (the ones who want to finish the walk here, can continue ca. 100m to the bus stop on the main road at San Pietro) Follow the alley leading up to the old settlement with its houses clustered close to each other and with only one entrance closed by a gate. The stone wall, the small arched windows, the narrow passages give the idea of a fort and how it used be in the Middle Ages. On the other side of the fort you pick up a large cart track which leads among fields and then downhill through the woods. It becomes a small path and after a small steep stretch downhill it ends upon another path which you follow to the left (to the right you reach the lake). This path reaches a cycle track which you follow to the right and you soon reach the “casa della riserva” with picnic tables and an information office. From here follow the lake passing over a wooden bridge and having passed 2 camp sites you reach the main road and the bus stop at Piano di Porlezza.
N. B. Who wants to turn back to Bene Lario just past the entrance of camp-site Ranocchio, turn right into a narrow street which soon becomes an untarred track. It leads along the back of the camp-site to some fields where you have to cross a stream. You then reach a rocky dry riverbed which you follow to the left. You almost immediately get to a good track which leads to BENE LARIO (377 m).