Sentiero del Viandante (Lecco to Abbadia Lariana)
The Sentiero del Viandante is a millennia-old mule track that once connected the lake villages before roads existed, and the section from Lecco south to Abbadia Lariana (about 8 km one way) is the most accessible and scenically rewarding stretch for a day hiker.
The trail experience
The path climbs almost immediately out of Lecco through chestnut and oak woodland, passing ruined watchtowers, tiny Romanesque chapels and terraced vineyards that produce a local red wine called Rosso dei Ronchi — look for hand-painted signs offering bottles at farmhouse gates.
Viewpoints along the upper section, particularly near the hamlet of Pradello, give you vertiginous glimpses straight down to the lake surface 400 metres below, with the opposite shore's mountains forming a perfect amphitheatre.
Logistics and the return leg
The trail is waymarked with red-and-white CAI (Club Alpino Italiano) blazes and is suitable for anyone reasonably fit wearing proper shoes. The full Lecco–Abbadia Lariana section takes 3–4 hours at a relaxed pace with photo stops.
At Abbadia Lariana, a lakeside bar serves cold drinks and the regional train back to Lecco runs roughly every 30 minutes, making this a perfect point-to-point walk with no need to retrace your steps.
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