Location
Sorico lies at the northern tip of the lake, along the Mera river, a junction point between Alto Lario, Valtellina and Valchiavenna.
History
Once a Roman settlement on the route to the Alpine passes, in medieval times it was part of the Repubblica delle Tre Pievi del Lario together with Gravedona and Dongo. Between 1512 and 1797 it was a border territory between Milan and the Grigioni, a military outpost and commercial crossroads towards Northern Europe. With the new 19th-century roads, traffic shifted to the Lecco shore; since 1983 the area has been home to the Riserva Naturale del Pian di Spagna.
What to see
- The tempietto of San Fedelino, on the shores of Lago di Mezzola: a single-nave Romanesque building from the 10th century, with a thousand-year-old fresco, reachable on foot or by boat.
- The Church of San Miro, a sanctuary at 319 m that holds the relics of the saint, with frescoes by Sigismondo de Magistris.
- The Riserva Naturale Pian di Spagna e Lago di Mezzola, about 1,600 hectares of wetland important for the resting and nesting of migratory species.
- The Church of Santo Stefano, of Romanesque origin, rebuilt in 1703.
What to do and excursions
You can walk in the Riserva del Pian di Spagna, climb to the Sasso di Dascio or tackle the peak of Monte Berlinghera (1,930 m). The Via dei Monti Lariani, over a hundred kilometres of walking along the western shore of the lake, ends at Sorico. Between Sorico and Gera Lario, the “breva” makes the waters ideal for windsurfing and sailing.
Getting there
Bus line C10 Como-Colico stops at Sorico, with stops at S.S. Regina and the Ponte del Passo junction; by car, follow the SS340 Regina.
Festivities
26 December, Santo Stefano, patron saint of Sorico.