The third stage of the Sentiero del Viandante starts from the village of Vezio in Varenna and culminates in Dervio near the Tower of Orezia. From the Belvedere di Vezio we follow the path that shoots down to the Crott del Pepott, passing the bridge over the Esino stream and heading up towards the houses of Regolo. At the church of San Giovanni we turn right on Via per Perledo, a beautiful panoramic stretch on the hill, and the castle of Vezio will then lead us to the ancient houses of Perledo and the church of San Martino. We leave Perledo behind on the road leading to Esino, and a detour to the left guides us along the cemetery, and after a brief descent we continue for a long uphill section on Via alla Cava Alta.
Once arrived at the chapel of Maglia, we step off the paved road for the path that goes down to the church of Gittana, the ancient parish extending in splendid panoramic position on Dervio and the high parts of Lario. We cross the Masna valley by passing under the hamlets of Cestaglia and Regoledo, after a long stretch we reach the farm (La Fabbrica), a centuries-old three storey building that once served as a tavern and a refuge for wayfarers. Once past the Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows, we enter Bellano, and after a short bout on an asphalt road, we turn left and pass the bridge over the Orrido. After reaching the church of San Rocco, we go up to the right towards Ombriaco.
After having gotten to the Ombriaco washhouse, we turn left and continue towards the Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Lacrime in Lezzeno the beautiful Baroque church definitely deserves a view. Heading out from the built-up area of Lezzeno, we continue on a slight descent while the panorama becomes wider over the entirety of Alto Lario, and at the crossroads for Oro we take a turn to the right and go up towards Pendaglio and Verginate. We descend from Verginate on a paved road, and when we reach the crossroads we then follow the orange sign to the right along via dei Ronchi, walking along the bridge over the Grande stream. We enter Dervio via Duca d'Aosta, and then proceed to the church of Santi Quirico and Giulitta, but then after crossing the bridge over the Varrone we have to turn to the right towards the Tower of Orezia, which is the final destination of the third stage of the Sentiero del Viandante.
Varenna is articulated in a reticulum of alleys that steeply descend towards Lake Como, where the houses reflect on the water as they do in certain areas of Liguria. Varenna was already famous back then for its white-black marbles.
Varenna
Bellano on Lake Como, is just a few kilometers from Varenna toward Colico, and it stands on a cape, where the vast panorama embraces the lake's western shores, from Menaggio up to Dongo, Bellano is famous for the Gorge of Orrido.
Bellano
The mountains surrounding Dervio offer plenty of opportunity to take excursions and walks, like those which lead to the Bellano and Nogara shelters, or those which climb Legnone mountain and Legnoncino mountain.
Dervio
