6. Varenna to Lecco

In front of the church, follow Via 4 Novembre to the east until you reach a multi-storey car park on the left:

1. Take the road that goes up on the left (Via Roma and indication Castello di Vezio) and passes over the railway tunnel. It continues up the mountainside to the cemetery. Take the stairs on the left, then turn right to pass behind the Varenna cemetery (unobstructed view) and follow the SV trail. It is possible to make a round trip to reach the source of the Fiumelatte, known as the "shortest" river in Italy, with only 300 metres in length. Back at the crossroads, climb up to the rampart, reach a small panoramic grassy clearing surrounded by large cypress trees, pass over the spring and continue through the woods to the exit above the highway. Follow the same road to the entrance of the next tunnel and, shortly after the fork, you can leave the lower SV trail down right along the SS36 to the Pino road, passing under the railway to reach the SP72. Otherwise continue on the lower SV trail that climbs to cross the Valle Vacchera torrent (800m).
   
   
2. After the stream, go down steeply then less steeply towards Giussana and then towards Lierna reached by the Via Alessandrano Manzoni which passes over the city. Continue after the Torrente Valle Villa via Via della Liberta to Piazza Grossi and an oratory. Continue opposite until the end of via Sornico. Take a slight left onto Via San Michele, enter Sornico by passing through a fortified corridor between the houses and continue to the small church of San Michele (name dear to the Lombards), an ancient church renovated in the 18th century.
   
   
3. Cross the valley of the Buria torrent with basins and waterfalls and continue on paving stones in the woods passing by abandoned buildings. At the next crossroads after a Calvary, go up on the left until you reach highway 36, follow it without crossing it until you reach via Saioli at the chapel. Go down Via Saioli to the cemetery, take Via Cimitero and then, on the right, Via di Era until you see the San Zeno chapel.
   
   
4. At the tobacco shop, turn left into the strada di Sonvico and then via dell'Acqua Bianca (right turn) which turns into a dirt road and crosses the Valle Meria stream. From the bridge go up a steep path that leads to a dirt road that goes up the valley of the Meria, turn right and after 250m turn left on the road that, from the restaurant Al Verde, arrives at the church dedicated to Sant'Antonio da Padova. Cross the hamlet (Lanfranconi tower house) to reach the church of San Giacomo, where a dirt and cobbled road begins which, from meadows to terraced gardens, leads to the houses of Roccolo. Cross two streams, part of the Masso forest to reach via Vittorio Veneto and the church of San Rocco de Maggiana. Take via dei Salici to its end and then at the crossroads opposite the strada per Maggiara, marked Sentiero del Viandante (SV). Walk past a motorway station and along the motorway before crossing it on a bridge (twice on the right). After a modest zig-zag, go down along Via dei Fiastelli (paved with central bricks) to reach the church of San Giorgio, ancient with frescoes from the 4th century. 
   
   
5. Turn left and follow the SV until you reach via per Novegolo, which passes on the left under the motorway. 
   
   
6. At this level, two solutions are possible to reach Lecco, which cannot be reached on foot because the route is too dangerous because of traffic while waiting for a protected cycle path to be built:
   
   

• Take the bus or train and continue to the end of the Sentiero del Variante. To do this, turn left under the motorway and, at the second bend of via per Novegolo, turn right at a car park onto the SV, which is paved and lined with low walls. Cross the Zerbo stream, the hamlet of Borbino. At the end of the hamlet, do not join the Chiesa di San Martini but go down opposite the Via Onedo which crosses the railway and reaches the Via Nazionale. On this road turn right to go to the station. By bus, get off after the Lecco exit on the SS36 motorway at the clearly visible sign "disco / restaurant Orsia Maggiore". Take the pedestrian/bicycle path that starts at this level for the moment. Follow this track until you reach the entrance of the city along via Lungolario Piave. Take the first street on the left (via Capodistria) marked by a water distributor, then the first on the right (via Spirola) to via Belvedere which crosses the Gerenzone stream. Continue on via Nino Bixio to reach the destination marked by the bell tower of San Nicholo.
  
  
• Take the boat at the pier reached by going down right down Via per Novegolo and turning at the end left onto Via Lungo Lago.