Montagna
Como - Salita San Donato
Italy - Lombardy - Como
The ascent of San Donato between steps, climbs and a few drops of sweat will take you from Como to magnificent Brunate.
Arrived at your destination, we can assure you that all the effort will be rewarded by the view from up here.
2 Km
Difficulty Medium
How to get there
The route begins in the beautiful city of Como.
Finding parking will not be too complicated. Several parking lots are available, along the streets near the start of the route. Most of these, however, are metered.
We recommend parking at “Via Giuseppe Ferrari 19, Como” (click here for coordinates) or alternatively any other parking available in the area. If possible, try not to stray too far from this area.
The route
The route will take you from Como to the Brunate funicular railway by climbing a staircase across the entire mountain.
The route is uphill and very strenuous. Remember to take plenty of water with you because there will be sweating!
The trail starts in Como with a concrete staircase. Along this stretch you will see canvases on the walls with thoughts dedicated to hikers.
As you go up in elevation you will see the staircase turn more and more into a wooded and wild trail.
About halfway along the trail you will pass by the Hermitage of San Donato. Take advantage of this to stop and admire the view from above and to catch your breath.
The second part of the route will, however, be totally immersed in the woods. Also along this stretch there will be our staircase to accompany us.
This is a somewhat isolated section where you can totally immerse yourself in nature. On hot summer days this stretch will also give you a rejuvenating coolness.
As soon as you start to see the path become a concrete path, it means you have almost reached your destination.
It was a long and strenuous walk, but as promised it is worth it!
Conclusions
The San Donato climb is a strenuous trail, but at the same time it is not necessary to be an experienced hiker to walk it.
Despite the fatigue, for us this remains the best way to reach Brunate.
In any case, remember that once you reach the top you can always choose to take the funicular back to Como. With the latter you will reach the city center directly.
As a last tip, we also recommend you to visit the Voltiano Lighthouse located right in Brunate.
Here you can find all the details to reach it.
The trail is immersed in the woods, we recommend you download the GPX we leave below.
