The Elisa hut stands at 1,515 metres in the upper Val Meria, above Mandello del Lario, on the western side of the Grigna Settentrionale, and is owned by the CAI of Mandello del Lario.
History
In 1924 some hikers of the CAI Grigne of Mandello thought of building a hut as a base on the north side of the Grigna: Evangelista Ferrario donated the land and the hut took its name from his daughter. Work began in 1926 and the inauguration was on the last Sunday of June 1927. From the autumn of 1943 it was a base for partisans of the “Brigata Cacciatori delle Grigne”, and for this reason on 1 November 1944 the Nazi-Fascists attacked and destroyed it. It was rebuilt from the immediate post-war period, with work finished in October 1947 and an inauguration in July 1949; the roof was rebuilt in 2000 (Wikipedia).
What to see and services
According to the Lombardy Region’s Rifugi di Lombardia portal the hut has 12 beds, 24 indoor seats, 40 outdoors. Services listed by the portal: discounts for CAI members; reachable on foot only; animals not allowed; GSM coverage; sheet bag for sale; 220 V electricity; showers; local products; vegetarian menus.
Getting there
Access routes listed by the portal, with times and ascents:
- Da Mandello del Lario: 3 hours, 1,100 m of ascent, hiking route.
Wikipedia lists starts from Rongio and links to the Brioschi hut, the Bietti-Buzzi hut and the Rosalba hut; the hut is also a stage of the Traversata Alta.
Practical information
- Contacts according to the portal: +39 366 9791655.
- Opening dates are indicative, and at the start and end of the season the portal advises phoning the hut before setting out.
- Height: 1,515 metres.
- The portal and Wikipedia name different managers (Elena Cosmo; Mauro Balatti from April 2026): it is best to call to book.