Esino Lario
Discover Esino Lario
Esino Lario is a mountain village in the Esino valley, between Lake Como and Valsassina in the Province of Lecco, in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. The village has a history of tourism that started in the late 19th century with scientists fascinated by the karst phenomena of the Grigna mountains and searching for fossils and the almost 500 caves of Moncodeno. From this early tourism a number of small hotels, restaurants and villas were built. Tourism developed greatly in the 1960s and 1970s. Today Esino Lario – 12 km above Lake Como and connected to Valsassina – is a special location for summer mountain holidays and a starting point for excursions in the Grigna mountains and the Regional Northern Grigna Park. The peculiarity of Esino Lario is its position in a sunny mountain basin at an elevation of around 910 m, with a pleasant microclimate and "good air", as the historical tourism leaflets would advertise, particularly to families with children. The landscape is diverse, with the charming historical streets of the two centers of Upper Esino (Esino superiore) and Lower Esino (Esino inferiore), with the high peaks of the limestone Grigna mountains (with excursions from Cainallo), with the gentle walks in the woods (with excursions from Ortanella) and with spectacular views of Lake Como from the lawn in front of San Pietro Church in Ortanella, from Passo di Narele and from the mountains (Grigne, San Defendante, Monte Croce). For its variety of landscapes, for its position in the heart of the Grigna mountains and for its sunny and pleasant position, Esino Lario is sometimes referred to as the 'Pearl of Grigna'.
What to Experience in Esino Lario
Taste of Esino Lario...
The traditional local cuisine is a simple mountain cuisine, based essentially on polenta, potatoes, dairy products, nuts and pork meat, with some specialities such as the ravioli called patole or the simple dessert called "paradell". More broadly the traditional cuisine of Lake Como, Valsassina and Valtellina includes specialities such as fish from the lake (i.e. lavarelli - whitefish, pesce persico - perch) on a white risotto, pizzoccheri and grilled pork (ribs and sausages). The local cuisine is today always mixed with Italian cuisine coming from different regions and which can satisfy also vegetarian and vegan diets and include meat dishes which do not include pork. The coolest place to have a beer is definitely a mountain shelter, but if you can't be bothered to walk up there, you can find other places for an appetitive or a drink. Have an aperitif in a restaurant between 18:00 and 20:00 with some chips and snacks included in the cost of the drink. In some places – like the bar 58, Oasi, La Sosta – you can get a quite luxurious amount of food with focaccia, canapés and little sandwiches) and an evening beer. Esino Lario does not have very luxurious solutions for sleeping; the hotel with most stars is Rosa delle Alpi with 3 out of 5.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Esino Lario into what it is today.
Esino Lario has documented archaeological finds from the 5th century BC onwards, and a territory that presents very visible traces of the Alpine orogeny – fossils, almost 500 caves, sinkholes and erratic boulders. The village was on the path of the Strada del Viandante (road wanderer), connecting the villages of the eastern shore of Lake Como. Before the 18th century, and the construction of the road along the lake, to travel the territory from south to north, the road would go up from Lierna to Ortanella in Esino Lario. The village was also connected to Valsassina, a large valley with a strong production of iron; Esino was part of the Squadra dei monti (team of the mountains) proving wood and charcoal for the iron industry. Don Giovanni Battista Rocca (1892-1965), son of silk producers from Brianza and vicar of Esino from 1927 to his death, also undertook some initiatives to advance the Esino region and the historic and social features that identify it. He established the Museum of the Grigne and in 1936 started Esino's Tapestry School. Since the Middle Ages, Lombardy has been famous for the production of wool fabrics and later, silk fabrics. There were many spinning mills around Lake Como in the 1800s, and women contributed to their family's income by leaving home every morning, even from far away villages like Esino, to walk to the lake shores to work in the mills....
Climate
Esino Lario, like most of Valsassina, features a humid temperate climate, cooler than in the Po Valley due to the higher elevation. In Barzio, the nearest weather station (elevation 770 m/2,500 ft - Esino Lario has an elevation of about 100 m higher), mean annual temperature is around 10°C/50°F (compared, for example, with around 13°C/55°F in Milan). Precipitation is abundant, with more than 1,700 mm (55 inches) falling in an average year. Rain is frequent in every season, with a little minimum in winter when there can be snowfall. As in most temperate areas, there are prolonged and well-defined intermediate seasons. Summers are moderate, with frequent rain showers and thunderstorms. Mean summer temperature is around 19°C (66°F), higher in July and August, and slightly lower in June; even during the most intense heat waves, anyway, maximum temperatures very rarely exceed 32°C (90°F).
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsEsino Lario is 12 km by road and a climb of 900 m from Varenna. The nearest major city is Milan. You can reach the village by car, bus, taxi, bike or by foot; there is no airport. Two provincial roads reach it: one from Varenna and one from Bellano-Parlasco (Strada della Valsassina). The most convenient airports are Milano Malpensa (MXP), Milano Linate (LIN) and Milano-Bergamo Orio al Serio (BGY). The nearest railway station is Varenna Esino, actually located in the territory of Perledo and a very short walking distance from Varenna boat station and Varenna centre. Trains come to the station from the line Milan, Lecco (connected to the line to Bergamo), Colico (connected to the line to Valchiavenna), Morbegno, Sondrio and Tirano (Valtellina). Trains from Milan's main railway stations (Milan stazione centrale - central station for direct trains and Milano Porta Garibaldi for regional trains) to Varenna Esino take 1 hour and 5 minutes....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
The best way to get around Esino Lario is by foot, even though the majority of the inhabitants prefer to use their cars. The taxonomy of the territory is extremely detailed; there are names not only for groups of houses (localities) but also for small areas of the forest; the detailed naming of the forest is due to the fact that the forest of Esino Lario is owned by the city council and assigned to the inhabitants making necessary to identify precisely every single slot of it. Walking around the centre is pretty simple and there are signs for the main landmarks. Walking in the mountains can get more complicated. Trails are indicated by numbers and codified by the CAI, the Italian national mountain organisation. There is only one bike you can use in Esino Lario and it is a mountain bike. The local mountain community and the Northern Grigna Regional Park have developed a map of bike roads and trails.
Where to Stay
Esino Lario does not have very luxurious solutions for sleeping; the hotel with most stars is Rosa delle Alpi with 3 out of 5. To decide where to sleep it is probably more important to select where you want to stay and if you prefer accommodation right in the middle of the village (centre), in the areas of Cainallo and Ortanella (at 10-15 minutes car-ride, around 1 hour from the centre by foot, and immerse in nature) or right in the middle of the mountains in a shelter you can only reach by foot. To sleep in the mountains there are different solutions: mountain shelters managed with rooms and restaurants, or mountain shelters that are owned by city councils and which can provide a simple shelter. Camping is authorized in designated areas (or you need to ask the authorization to the city council). There are many flats available for renting. The city council through its tourist office facilitates information about priviate apartments and houses for rent.
Money & Budget
Esino Lario is definitely not a shopping centre but there are some shops for your needs (food, cigarettes, newspaper, toys for children, clothes, little presents, tools...) and where you can find some regional food specialities and little presents and souvenirs. The nearest shopping mall is Fuentes in Colico or the shops in Lecco. It is probably also useful to know that there are two banks. The traditional local cuisine is a simple mountain cuisine, based essentially on polenta, potatoes, dairy products, nuts and pork meat, with some specialities such as the ravioli called patole or the simple dessert called "paradell". More broadly the traditional cuisine of Lake Como, Valsassina and Valtellina includes specialities such as fish from the lake (i.e.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Esino Lario is a very safe location with an extremely low crime rate, and with a system to manage medical assistance and emergencies. It is important to bear in mind dangers associated to mountain excursions, trekking, climbing and alpinism and to know the normal safety measures and the principles of environmental education. Lighting fires outside prone areas is prohibited, and you must put out fires with care and take all your garbage with you. To visit the Ghiacciaia del Moncodeno (the famous cave of Moncodeno), one must have a guide and use helmets, harnesses and a head torch. The same safety procedures should be used to visit any cave in the area.
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Esino Lario
a rocky mountain with snow on the ground
a black and white photo of a mountain landscape
a group of people standing on top of a snow covered mountain
a path leading to the top of a mountain
a large rock formation in the middle of a forest
a view of a snowy mountain with trees in the foreground
a snow covered mountain with trees in the foreground
a black and white photo of mountains and trees
a view of a mountain with snow on it
the sun is setting over the mountains in the distance
a rocky mountain with snow on the ground
a black and white photo of a mountain landscape
a group of people standing on top of a snow covered mountain