From Garzeno, inland from Gravedona, a hike climbs to the border with Switzerland past a sequence of former Guardia di Finanza barracks, now mountain refuges: a mountain route with a border history, from the First World War to postwar smuggling. It is not a loop: it’s an out-and-back route, suited to a full day of walking at altitude away from the lake.
From Brenzeglio to Rifugio San Jorio
The practical starting point is Brenzeglio, a hamlet of Garzeno reachable by car. From there the trail climbs through the pastures of Valle Albano, passing Rifugio Giovo (1,714 m) — now closed, like Rifugio Mottafoiada further down — before reaching Rifugio San Jorio at 1,980 metres: about 2 hours of walking, with a 735-metre ascent. The refuge, a former Guardia di Finanza barracks, is closed for all of 2026 for renovation, with reopening planned for 2027 — it is not a usable stop for this year.
To the San Jorio Pass, on the border
A short climb from the refuge leads to the San Jorio Pass, at 2,010 metres: here Lake Como’s Valle Albano meets Valle Morobbia, in the Swiss canton of Ticino. During the First World War the pass was an outpost of the Italian Frontiera Nord defensive line; after the Armistice of Cassibile in 1943, it became an escape route and later a smuggling route — the very reason the area filled with border barracks like the one that became Rifugio San Jorio. Today the pass is essentially a hiking destination on both sides of the border, with a small chapel dedicated to San Jorio at the centre of an annual religious event held on the first Sunday of August.
Cyclists can reach the same pass via a different, more demanding mountain-bike route starting from Dongo: 26 km, 1,770 metres of ascent, about 6 hours, mostly on asphalt.
Practical information
- Access: drive from Garzeno to Brenzeglio; from Brenzeglio to Rifugio San Jorio in about 2 hours on foot (735 m of ascent, hiking difficulty E) — official figure from Regione Lombardia. Figures “from Garzeno” quoted by some trail websites are inconsistent with each other and were not used.
- Rifugio San Jorio is closed for all of 2026, with reopening planned for 2027: check its status before setting out.
- Rifugio Giovo and Rifugio Mottafoiada, along the route, are also currently closed.
- Best season: summer months, given the altitude.
- Mountain-bike alternative from Dongo: 26 km, 1,770 m of ascent, about 6 hours, difficult.