Dascio on Lago di Novate Mezzola: Trails and Culture

Dascio is described as a secluded fishing village on Lago di Novate Mezzola. Named trails and two historical and cultural landmarks add to the character of the place. This provides a practical guide when choosing a hotel stay: consider whether lakeside life, a hike or Romanesque heritage is the main focus of your trip. The routes differ in their course, means of travel and stated difficulty; a boat leg also requires advance reservation.

A lakeside village and historical and cultural sites

The Chiesa di San Biagio in Dascio was rebuilt between 1900 and 1908. The Tempietto di San Fedelino is considered one of the most important examples of Romanesque architecture in Alto Lario. The two sites have different points of interest: San Biagio is notable for the period when it was rebuilt, while the Tempietto is notable for its place in the Romanesque tradition.

A hiking route links the two names as its starting and ending points: it begins at the Chiesa di S. Biagio in Dascio and ends at the Tempietto di S. Fedelino. Different from this is the route “From Casenda/Dascio to discover the Tempietto di San Fedelino,” which is rated easy and accessible to everyone. If you would like to combine culture and exercise, the stated endpoints and the rating of each route provide a practical guide.

Hiking trails and ways to get around

The Via Francisca descends via the Sasso di Dascio to Dascio, where it joins the ancient Via Regina. The Sasso is a rocky promontory offering panoramic views of Pian di Spagna. The Antica Via Regina is rated moderate; it can be travelled on foot and partly by bicycle. The Via Francisca can also be travelled on foot and partly by bicycle, but not by car. In direct comparison, the two routes both allow travel on foot and partly by bicycle; the Via Regina is additionally rated moderate.

Another path runs from Ponte del Passo along the River Mera to the settlement of Dascio. The Mera connects Lago di Mezzola with Lake Como. The visitor route “L1 – Sorico – Albonico – Dascio” is also designated as a cycling route. The route descriptions use different landmarks: sometimes the path over a rocky promontory, sometimes a river course or the names of places along a cycling route.

On the San Fedelino–Dascio section, the return journey can also be made by boat, but only with advance reservation. This condition applies specifically to this section. If you plan to include the boat option, be sure to make the reservation in advance.

Assessing Dascio as a destination

When choosing a place to stay, Dascio’s features can be weighed against specific interests: the village on Lago di Novate Mezzola, the rebuilt Chiesa di San Biagio and the Romanesque Tempietto, as well as routes with different courses and means of travel. Those mainly interested in hiking can refer to the stated ratings of the named tours; those also considering cycling will find several route descriptions, although the Via Regina and the Via Francisca can each be travelled by bicycle only in part. This makes it possible to assess Dascio as a hotel destination based on its local history and the routes described, without treating the routes as interchangeable.

Discover more destinations: Dolo, Valmorea, Casasco D'intelvi, Monguzzo, Porlezza, Lurago D'erba, Casnate Con Bernate, Orsenigo.

For the broader travel overview: Como.