Hikes in Lombardy

All our hikes in Lombardy, around Lake Como, Valchiavenna and Valtellina, sorted by score, with grade, duration and elevation gain.

Lombardy is the region we know best, and it shows: almost half of the hikes on Hikes of the World start here, split between the Prealps of Lake Como, an hour from Milan, and the higher, wilder valleys of Valchiavenna and Valtellina, which lead up to the glaciers of the Bernina and the granite of Val Masino.

On this page you will find them all together, sorted by score, while the pages for each valley and the lists of mountain huts and lakes in Lombardy help you narrow the choice.

Good to know about Lombardy's mountains

The Lombard hikes on this page range from grade T to EE, and it is worth knowing what the CAI grades mean in practice. T stands for lanes, mule tracks and easy paths with no route-finding problems; E for waymarked trails with no particular technical difficulty; EE for routes for experienced hikers, where there may be exposed sections, steep slopes or snowfields to cross, and where you need sure footing and a head for heights. The grade always refers to the hardest section of the route, so an EE hike such as the Resegone's east ridges can be easy for three quarters of the way and demanding precisely where you are most tired.

Almost all the Lombard mountain huts along these routes are run, in the months they are open, by a warden who also handles bookings, and to stay the night the CAI's rules ask you to use your own sleeping-bag liner. When you book, the warden may ask for a deposit, which under the CAI tariff cannot exceed the cost of the night, and many huts can now also be booked through the CAI's online platform. Opening dates vary from hut to hut and from year to year, so before counting on a hot meal it is best to phone ahead.