Holiday apartment in Cusino: mountain trails, churches and alpine traditions

Cusino combines mountain scenery, culture and trails in the beginning of Val Cavargna. The village lies in a hollow at the foot of Monte Pidaggia. South of Cusino rises Monte Pidaggia, reaching 1,528 metres; its rocky spur, Sasso di Cusino, reaches 1,325 metres.

Mountain scenery and views

Monte Pidaggia has a steep north-eastern slope covered with beech trees. From there, panoramic views extend across the entire Val Cavargna as well as the lakes of Piano and Lugano. The ascent of Monte Pidaggia begins at the Sella di Cusino. From Cusino, the access road runs along a narrow, steep road to the Madonna della Salute; parking is available at the Sella.

Churches and religious sites

In the centre of Cusino, next to the town hall, stands the Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Giovanni Battista, which preserves a valuable series of paintings and frescoes. The Parrocchiale della Natività di San Giovanni Battista is a single-nave church with side chapels; historical records about it date back to 1300. The church was originally dedicated to Saint James and was extensively remodelled in the 16th century, incorporating the adjacent Chapel of San Giovanni Battista. Its walls are decorated with numerous transferred frescoes from the nearby bell tower and from other houses in the village.

Sant’Ambrogio preserves Romanesque architectural elements as well as a stone relief of Christ dating from the 11th to the 12th century, set into the façade. At the same time, Sant’Ambrogio is a single-nave oratory with an apse on a hill near the provincial road from Carlazzo to Cusino. Construction of the Oratorio di Maria Ausiliatrice began in 1883 and was completed in 1890; it is held in particularly high esteem by the faithful of Cusino. The Festa della Madonna della Salute is also still one of the celebrations felt most deeply by the people of these mountains.

Trails, sanctuary and alpine traditions

The hike from Cusino to Monte Marnotto begins in Cusino and follows the road to the Monti di Lugone, Malè and the Madonna della Salute. The first section of the Sentiero delle 4 Valli runs for 13 kilometres from Breglia to Malè at the beginning of Val Cavargna. The Santuario della Madonna della Salute (Santuario di Lugone) stands at an altitude of 1,240 metres on Motter Hill and offers views over Lake Como from Bellagio to the entire Lecco branch. On the route from Alpe Logone to Alpe Leveja, a trail from Salter leads in just a few minutes into Parco della Val Sanagra and onwards to Alpe di Logone. Alpe di Logone is regarded as an alpine pasture that is still in operation today, producing butter and Formagelle cheese.

Further destinations

Further destinations for planning your trip: Luisago, Carlazzo, Moltrasio, Albonico, Caglio, San Nazzaro Val Cavargna, Bellagio, Carimate.

To the higher-level travel overview: Como.