With my hiking friends today I decide to start from Torno (a quaint village overlooking the first basin) and climb to Monte Piatto, passing through Piazzaga, with a stop at Massi Avelli (ancient rock-cut tombs) and the famous Pietra Pendula .
Height difference: 400 meters
Trail type: easy mule track, passable in all seasons
Route duration: 1:30/2.00 hours, including stops
Refreshment Points: Crotto a Piazzaga and Crotto Monte Piatto
If you are staying at the Corte di Zizi or the Corte di Cernobbio, Torno can be reached either by car or by bus, in the latter case you will have to take the C10 city bus, changing at Sant’Agostino to take the c30 bus, Torno – Piazza Caronti stop . More convenient is definitely the boat from Cernobbio.
From the pier in Torno we walk up the ancient lanes and, crossing the state highway, arrive at Caronti Square. We take Intesa Bank as a reference, and on the right, we will see a bulletin board showing the route. We follow the signs to Molina, arrive at a small square with a small chapel, pass under small balconies, and through uphill lanes to the intersection with Via al Pozzo. Here on the right begins our mule track to Piazzaga and Massi Avelli, and on the left we continue to Molina.
We then take this wide uphill mule track that passes between vegetable gardens and farmsteads with panoramic views of the lake. Here we are near a beautiful stone archway as the trail becomes flatter and continues until we come to a stone bridge spanning a stream with a nice little waterfall where we stop for a break and photos.
On the left side of the bridge we see a small chapel with a notice board and a sign indicating where 3 important Avello Boulders are located: the third Avello(Negrenza) is the largest and worth a stop.
We return to the small bridge and, still slightly uphill, arrive at Piazzaga, a village formed by small stone houses, where you can stop for lunch at Crotto di Piazzaga.
From here the well-marked mule track becomes a wide paved road in the middle of a beautiful forest.In about 30 minutes of gentle walking we arrive at Monte Piatto, where we are greeted by a large Crucifix.
The lane passes the Trattoria del Monte Piatto, but our path continues to reach our destination, the Church of St. Elizabeth. Set on a very scenic hill, it is surrounded by a clearing with tables and benches, where we stop for our lunch break. After the break, following the path below, we arrive at the large Pendula Stone in 5 minutes.
On the way back we stop at the pastry bar overlooking the main square of Torno, opposite the pier. After a walk, a coffee and a chat with friends are definitely healthy!
