The Rogolone

This is a lovely walk for the children through the woodlands near Grandola Ed Uniti which takes you to ‘The Rogolone’; a large old oak tree over 300 years old, located in a small clearing in the woods. The walk takes approximately 40 minutes and is easy to follow as it is well signposted throughout. There are a few steep parts during the walk as well as a few streams to cross, but easy enough for young children to climb (under 5’s may need a helping hand from an adult). There are some beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and valleys including Monte Di Tremezzo (south hills) once you reach ‘the Rogolone’. You also have a fantastic view of Lake Piano and Lake Lugano from here, so be sure to bring your camera!

On a nice day, you could take your own picnic, there are no seats or benches, but you can sit down in the clearing to eat (maybe better to take a small cover with you to sit on). If it’s hot, be sure to take plenty of water with you as you do not want to become dehydrated.

How to get there

From Menaggio, follow the signs for Porlezza (up the hill). Once you pass the small village of Croce at the top of the hill, Grandola Ed Uniti is approximately the next village along on your right (distance from Croce, 1.8km). Take this turning and you will see that the road forks, veer to the left and follow the road up, once you pass the second hair-pin bend, you will see a school and the ‘municipio’ (town hall) and a large children’s play area on your left. You can park here. There are signs (in brown) for the Rogolone and they are frequent throughout the walk, so there should be no chance of you getting lost.