In western Alto Lario, above Gravedona, the hillside villages of Peglio and Dosso del Liro are linked by a walk through vineyards and chestnut woods, with open views over Pian di Spagna and the mouths of the Mera and Adda rivers. Both villages sit at about 650 metres above sea level, but no official source gives the length, climb or walking time of the route between them, which is why this itinerary is built on the two churches. Away from the lakeshore, it links two communities that for centuries shared the same church history and administrative fate.
Peglio, the provostry church on the panoramic terrace
The walk starts in Peglio, which enjoys wide views over Gravedona and much of the lake. In the main square stands the Church of Saints Eusebio and Vittore, the village’s provostry church since 1461: inside, a very rich fresco cycle by il Fiamminghino, painted between 1614 and 1623, also tells the story of the villagers’ long emigration to Palermo, which funded most of the church’s furnishings.
Through the vineyards towards Dosso del Liro
From Peglio’s square, the walk continues along the hillside provincial road that links the villages of western Alto Lario, through terraced vineyards and chestnut woods, with the view gradually opening onto the Pian di Spagna plain, the wetland at the mouth of the Mera and Adda rivers on the lake.
Dosso del Liro, between two churches and a legend
The walk ends in Dosso del Liro, a village of stone alleys with 18th-century doorways. Just outside the village, reachable only on foot along a path through the chestnut woods, stands the Church of San Pietro in Costa: for centuries it was the village’s only parish church, and it is tied to the legend of the landslide said to have swept away the old settlement of Ganda. In the village centre stands instead the Church of the Santissima Annunziata, which took over as the main parish church in the 17th century. The two churches open together every third Sunday of the month, as part of the “Chiese Aperte” (Open Churches) event in Alto Lario.
Practical information
- A link between two villages at the same elevation (about 650 m): no official source publishes precise distance, elevation gain or walking-time data for this specific route, which follows the provincial road and hillside paths between the two villages.
- Best time to go: spring to autumn, to make the most of the vineyards and the views.
- Dosso del Liro’s two churches (San Pietro in Costa and Santissima Annunziata) can only be visited inside on the third Sunday of each month, from 3pm to 5:30pm, as part of the “Chiese Aperte” event; the Church of Saints Eusebio and Vittore in Peglio is instead open daily from 3pm to 6pm.
- Peglio is also where the two days of the Via dei Monti Lariani – Section 4 end and begin, for those who want to continue on a longer trekking route.
