Discover Menaggio: Historic Town Centre, Churches and Nature Trails

Menaggio combines a historic town centre with the districts of Loveno and Nobiallo, churches, a villa, historic paths and natural experiences. This allows you to explore the town according to different interests: through cobbled lanes and medieval structures, as well as regional cuisine, cultural landmarks and paths through the landscape.

Historic Town Centre and Loveno

The historic town centre of Menaggio features cobbled lanes that lead uphill between closely spaced houses. This layout makes the town centre an area you can explore step by step, while the history of the town is immediately visible in its streets and buildings.

In the Loveno district of Menaggio, Villa Mylius Vigoni was transformed into a house museum with paintings, statues and valuable furnishings. Loveno is also home to the parish church of Santi Lorenzo e Agnese. It was rebuilt between 1725 and 1728 and preserves frescoes by Luigi Tagliaferro.

Nobiallo, Fishing Village and Historic Transport Routes

The Nobiallo district of Menaggio is a fishing village with a leaning Romanesque bell tower dating from the 13th century. The district is also home to the Santuario della Regina della Pace, set in a location with panoramic views; it can be reached via the old Madonna Bridge.

The historic Antica Strada Regina runs from Nobiallo. It was once an important transport route connecting the Po Valley with the transalpine region. This former route adds a connection between everyday regional life and the transalpine region to the history of the town.

Menaggio also has a distinctive connection to the lake when it comes to food. Here you can enjoy missoltini, lake fish from Lake Como, served fresh, fried or grilled.

Paths between History and Nature

The historic-artistic circular route through Menaggio begins at Piazza Garibaldi, leads to the medieval old town centre in the upper part of the town and is mostly walked on foot. At Monte Crocetta, you can walk along the restored paths of the Linea Cadorna; they lead to bunkers, troop quarters and observation posts.

Above Menaggio lies Parco Val Sanagra, an extensive area with flora, fauna, old rural settlements and numerous paths. An easy, child-friendly hike begins in Piamuro, 2 km from the centre of Menaggio, on the edge of the Loveno district. Fornace Galli complements the themes of culture and landscape as an industrial monument featuring an old brickworks, a kiln and water-powered facilities for processing clay.

Routes and Orientation on Site

A route from Menaggio to Porlezza begins at the Menaggio ferry landing, follows the former railway line, runs mostly on asphalt and passes through the Lago di Piano nature reserve. This gives you, alongside the local paths, a route that combines historic infrastructure and natural surroundings, without equating the former use of the line with present-day railway operations.

The Menaggio tourist information office is located at Piazza Garibaldi and offers numerous brochures and holiday recommendations. When choosing a hotel in Menaggio, you can therefore first decide whether your focus is on local history, historic paths, nature trails or local cuisine. Further destinations: Cermenate, Lurago D'erba, Magreglio, Turate, Erbonne, Merone, Albogasio, Dongo.

For the higher-level travel overview: Como.