The Piani d’Erna are a plateau at 1,200-1,300 metres on the slopes of the Resegone, almost above Lecco, at the foot of the Pizzo d’Erna (1,375 metres): you reach them in five minutes by the Malnago cable car or in two and a half hours on foot, and they offer meadows, paths, an adventure park and the “balcony” over the town and the lake.
History
The name Erna perhaps comes from Latin vernus (“of spring”) for the pastures, or from a Celtic word for a place of alders (Wikipedia). The place was long an alp and a source of timber for charcoal burners, from the 16th century, and of iron; the church, consecrated in 1761, has on its facade a plaque recalling two partisans. After the armistice of 8 September 1943 the first armed groups against the German occupation and the Social Republic formed here: after less than a month of activity, between 16 and 20 October, three thousand Alpenjäger with artillery attacked from four directions, and on the 18th the SS burned barns and farmhouses and damaged the huts (LeccoToday).
The cable car was built in 1965 according to Wikipedia (Il Giorno, on 5 October 2026, writes 1964), and the place became a destination for hikers in summer and skiers in winter. From 2006 management passed to Imprese Turistiche Barziesi (ITB), which already ran the Piani di Bobbio and Artavaggio, and the renovated cable car started running again in summer 2008 (Wikipedia). Between 11 February and 14 March 2025 an extraordinary job replaced the carrying ropes: 1,900 metres of 46-millimetre ropes weighing about 20,000 kilograms, laid with winches flown up in a helicopter. In March 2025 the management of the cable installations was awarded to a consortium company of ATM (75%) and ITB (25%) with a seven-year, 11-million-euro contract for seven installations (LeccoToday).
What to see
The Pizzo d’Erna has to the north a large chair-shaped basin (the “cadrega”, born of a landslide in prehistoric times) through which the cable car passes, to the west the Acquate district and to the east the Resegone. Unlike the Resegone it is made of Esino limestone; almost all slopes, except the wooded eastern one, have walls for experienced climbers, with the Parete Stoppani and the Gamma 1 via ferrata that climbs the west spur to the top (Wikipedia). On the plateau are the viewpoint over Lecco and the lake, the summer adventure park and a tubing run, and the Marchett hut, about twenty minutes’ walk from the arrival, in the hamlet of Erna (Il Giorno). Lower down, at the Costa barns, is the Stoppani hut.
The Sentiero Natura is a loop, all on the Piani, of about 7 kilometres and 350 metres of ascent in about two and a half hours, with panels on geology, flora, fauna and human activities (Leccoonline). Other suggestions, according to Trekking Lecco: path 1 towards the Resegone, the Bobbio gully equipped with ropes and chains for experienced hikers, and the Gamma 1 ferrata, which requires harness, helmet and energy absorber.
Getting there
The Malnago-Piani d’Erna cable car leaves from Versasio, in Lecco, and can be reached by car (paid car park), by bus 5 and with integrated Lombardy tickets. It is open all week, unlike the Piani di Bobbio cable car (Il Giorno). On foot you climb by path 1 passing the Stoppani hut, or by the Famiglia path: about two and a half hours (Il Giorno). Times, difficulty and trail conditions change with the season and should be checked before setting out.
Practical information
- Closure: the cable car is closed for extraordinary maintenance from Monday 5 to Saturday 31 October 2026 (ITB).
- 2026 hours (ITB): from 7 September to 24 October, Monday-Friday 8:30-12:30 and 13:30-17:30, Saturday, Sunday and holidays 8:00-12:30 and 13:30-18:00; from 25 October to 31 December every day 8:30-12:30 and 13:30-17:00. Hours may change for service or weather reasons.
- Fares in force from 1 September 2026 (ITB): single ride 8 euros, 10-ride carnet 73 euros, free up to age 4; bicycle, other items and animals 3 euros. Dogs of any size pay 3 euros and must wear a leash and muzzle (the ticket office supplies one for 6 euros).
- Tourist information: the Lecco Infopoint answers on 0341 481485.
Sources
- ITB, Piani d’Erna: prezzi e orari and Comune di Lecco, Piani d’Erna
- LeccoToday, Il rastrellamento d’Erna (2023), Lavori finiti: riapre la funivia (March 2025) and Affidata la gestione della funivia (March 2025)
- Il Giorno, Piani d’Erna (September 2025), Trekking Lecco, Piani d’Erna: il balcone di Lecco (2024) and Leccoonline, Sentiero Natura ai Piani d’Erna (2025)
- Wikipedia, Pizzo d’Erna entry.