By Bike around Lake Como

Winter crystal sky above Lecco

Winter is probably the best period of the year for visiting Lake Como by bike: no cars on the roads, shining sky, deep blue water and great landscapes!

This little bike adventure starts off in Lecco, a city on the south shore of the eastern branch of Lake Lario (as it’s also called Lake Como). The breeze from the north is chilly, down there the mountains are fully covered by snow! The itinerary follows the coastal roads of the “Triangolo Lariano”, the “triangle” of land right in the middle of Lake Como. The wind is against and the road goes up and down, but the effort is paid off with great landscapes. The charming town of Bellagio, right on the top of the “triangle”, is strangely empty, not as crowdy as in summer time, and it’s really enjoyable to walk among elegant houses, villas and ancient roads made of stone, with great views over the lake.

It’s the cyclist’s paradise, there are just a few cars on the roads, just bikes, it’s a pleasure to pedal here. After a sandwich in Nesso I leave the coastal road behind and I head inland: some hairpins make me gain a great altitude, at every turn I see the lake from a different perspective and finally I get deep into the forest. The road is steep and It gets cold, there is snow on the road sides and pedaling gets every meter more difficult, but finally I get to the highest point of the day, the Colma of Sormano Pass, 1.124 mt of altitude. This pass is kind of mythical among the cyclist, this is the end of the “Sormano Wall”, a strenuous road included in the classic “Lombardy Tour” that is something like 24% steep! Fortunately, I don’t have to ride there, for me the road just goes down and down.

Before reaching the flatlands, studded by other small lakes, I choose to follow some nice dirt roads in the forest: Lake Como is not a paradise just for road bikers, also mountain bikers can enjoy great rides here! So, after cycling among goats and sheep, woods and ancient stone roads, I finally reach Lecco: the Lake Como loop is over!

It was a great ride, a perfect winter day with great views all along the itinerary. The exploration season is just begun, where I will ride next??

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