Sentiero del Viandante above Dongo
The Sentiero del Viandante is a waymarked long-distance path that traces the eastern and western shores of Lake Como along the routes once walked by medieval merchants and pilgrims. The stretch that climbs above Dongo delivers some of the most unobstructed panoramas of the upper lake — wide, wild and almost entirely crowd-free.
The climb from the piazza
From Piazza Matteotti, follow the yellow-and-red waymarks uphill through Dongo's narrow caruggi — the steep lanes of old stone houses draped in wisteria and bougainvillea — until the path breaks free of the village onto open terraced hillside.
Within 25 minutes of walking you gain enough altitude to see the full width of the lake's northern basin, with the Rezzonico headland to the south and the Swiss peaks of the Valchiavenna to the north framing the water like a painted backdrop.
The path surface alternates between old cobbled mule track and compacted earth; sturdy trainers are fine in dry conditions but hiking boots are advisable after rain when the stone steps become slippery.
What to look for along the way
Keep an eye out for the dry-stone terracing that lines both sides of the path — these were once productive olive and chestnut groves, and some local families have begun restoring them as interest in traditional Lombard agriculture revives.
At roughly the 40-minute mark, a flat rocky ledge just off the main path to the right makes a perfect natural picnic platform with an unbroken lake view; locals call it informally 'il balcone' and it appears on no official sign.
In spring the verges are thick with wild orchids and the air carries the resinous scent of flowering broom — a sensory experience that no lakeside restaurant terrace can replicate.
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