The first trail above Mezzegra: how to choose it if you're not a hiker
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The first waymarked mountain trail begins about a hundred metres from the residence gate. From there the slope climbs fast: two kilometres take you from Mezzegra's 277 metres to the high meadows at almost a thousand. Our hiking page already lists every trail and walk that starts from here, with a map and measured data.
What's missing is a way to choose. Guests here are rarely regular hikers, and a number like "two kilometres" on its own says almost nothing: it only makes sense next to the height difference.
The number that actually matters is height difference per kilometre
Two trails of the same length can be completely different experiences. Trail 887, climbing from Mezzegra towards Ossino, is 2.2 km long and gains 680 metres: over 300 metres of climbing per kilometre, most of it right above the village. The loop around Lago del Piano, near Carlazzo, is longer at 6.5 km but gains just 57 metres over the whole route.
Same units, completely different effort. That's why the trails and walks from Mezzegra below are grouped by steepness, not by length.
Nearly flat: two starting points with no real climb
For anyone not looking for a mountain, two routes stay flat from start to finish:
- Greenway del Lago di Como: 11 km with just 91 metres of height difference, between Colonno and Cadenabbia di Griante. The nearest access point is 22 metres from the residence. We cover it stage by stage in our article on the Lake Como Greenway.
- Loop around Lago del Piano: 6.5 km with only 57 metres of height difference, around the nature reserve near Carlazzo. You reach it by car, not on foot from here.
A gentle climb, enough to get your breath going
Two walks start right at the residence and climb, without asking too much:
- Cappella degli Alpini above Rogaro: 3.2 km, 268 metres of height difference, with a view over the middle of the lake at the top.
- Santuario della Madonna del Soccorso: 2.5 km, 186 metres of height difference, up to the Sacro Monte di Ossuccio, a UNESCO site facing Isola Comacina.
The short trails that aren't actually easy
This is where length is misleading. Trail 887 towards Ossino and trail 886 towards Redendola both start in Mezzegra and look short on paper, 2.2 and 2 km. They aren't: both climb more than 300 metres per kilometre, far steeper than the two walks above. Trail 884, from Lenno towards Garbagno, gains 633 metres in just 2.9 km. These are the three to look at closely before setting off without any training.
Real elevation, for hikers already in shape
Above a thousand metres the landscape changes and the trails ask more of your legs. Trail 887A continues from Ossino towards Alpe di Mezzegra: only 1.3 km but 533 metres of height difference, up to 1,512 metres, the steepest stretch in the whole network. Trail 881, from Ossuccio to Rifugio Boffalora, gains 967 metres over 4.2 km.
The longest of all is trail 898, from Tremezzo to Rifugio Venini: 13.9 km and 1,395 metres of height difference, a full day out. From there trail 880 continues towards Monte Crocione: another 414 metres of climbing, but starting already at 1,217 metres.
What you won't find here
We don't publish walking times: they change too much with pace, pack weight, season and trail conditions to be a reliable figure. Elevation and height difference are measured from the trail tracks and the elevation model, not a judgement on your fitness.
The full map, with every trail and the walks further afield too, in Val Sanagra, above Schignano and in Val d'Intelvi, is on our hiking page. At check-in we can also tell you how the trails are doing that week: some stretches stay under snow well into spring, and mountain weather changes fast.
