When in Italy … “dolce far niente” spirit? Not so much for us, rather “ride as much as you can”!

Back in 2021 we went on a long weekend trip to Lombardy, with no clear plans to go cycling. We had the cycling kit with us, just in case, but no rental or route planning. But while casually walking during our first day in Bellagio we passed by the local Bianchi rental shop … and that was it! Our relaxing trip turned into a cycling trip in a matter of minutes 😉

Route in a nutshell

Distance: 50 km | Elevation gain: 1.300 m (max elevation 1.112 m)

Route: Bellagio – Nesso – Sormano – Bellagio

Bellagio → Nesso

We started from the rental shop situated in Bellagio. First we rode on the coastline of Lake Como, enjoying a relatively flat section with gorgeous views of Lake Como. Already many road cyclists on the road – that’s always a good sign!

We followed the main road along Lake Como, through beautiful villages, until we took a left turn towards Nesso.

Nesso → Sormano

Starting from Nesso, the painful part started. Or the most beautiful part, if you ask my partner in crime. We climbed, enjoyed the views, climbed some more, ate the gels, climbed some more … until we reached the top, to a lovely cabin – Ristorante La Colma. Just the perfect place to have a super well-deserved lunch!

Sormano → Colle del Ghisallo

After getting a lot of carbs in our body, we continued the journey through a legendary climb – luckily I only had to descend it! I’m taking about the famous Muro di Sormano, a veracious climb with an average gradient of 17% and a maximum of 27% !! This climb was part of the Giro di Lombardia multiple times, from 1960 to 1962, and more recently in 2017.

It is a super beautiful road, with many stencils on the road. Makes a great place for a photoshooting session 😉 I did try to climb only a bit, but the few meters were enough to calm me down.

In the picture on the left, below, you’ll notice that every meter of elevation gain is written on the road. The meters add up quite quickly, as you can see!

After Muro di Sormano we continued onwards to another legendary place for Italian cycling … Colle del Ghisallo! Some more climbing, but peanuts compared to the Sormano mountain.

Colle del Ghisallo → Bellagio

Colle del Ghisallo is another super famous climb from Lombardy, being featured in both Giro di Lombardia and Giro d’Italia. At the top of the climb is a lovely area with two cycling-related buildings:

• the Church of “Madonna del Ghisallo” (who was declared the protector of cyclists)
• the Cycling Museum (Museo del Ciclismo)

It is a super peaceful area where many cyclists stop, no wonder why – the views of Lake Como are amazing, plus the cultural and spiritual heritage of the place.

For there to Bellagio it’s mostly a descending ride … and back to the city!

The bikes

During this trip to Lombardy we enjoyed riding THE Italian bike brand – Bianchi 🙂

The bikes (super well maintained!!) were rented from Bike It! Bellagio – official Bianchi partner. It was also the most cyclist-friendly rental place I’ve ever seen – it even provided a changing room for customers!

What other areas from Lombardy do you recommend for road cycling? I’d love to hear your thoughts about cycling in Italy!

‘Till next time … happy riding!

Georgiana