This Northern Italy travel guide: Hiking the Via Valeriana around Lake Iseo was designed based on personal experiences and information provided during late summer 2019. It has been reviewed for 2023, however, all facts and references should be duly cross-referenced with official sources at local tourism offices for the most up-to-date information.
Our first stop on a recent vacation in northern Italy was Iseo, located on Lake Iseo. Located in the Lombardy region, the closest major cities are Brescia and Bergamo, each about an hour or two away by car or train.
Driving from France, we’d already been taken aback several times by how popular the region seemed to be as a vacation spot. In addition to Italian, we heard Dutch and German at Campground Spiaggia D’Oro, where we snagged the last available site the night before setting out for our first hike: the Antica Strada Valeriana (Ancient Valeriana Path) or more simply, the Via Valeriana.
A walk dating back to Roman times
The Via Valeriana used to be the only way to travel from the Brescian side of Lake Iseo to the Valle Camonica, an isolated valley northwest of the lake. Today, the walk takes place along 24.3 kilometers (15.5 miles) of diverse terrain following the curve of the lake between two of the 12 small towns that dot the lake: Pisogne and Pilzone.
You can choose to begin the hike from either end
We began it from Pisogne, which is a little more complicated as the path is less clearly marked coming from that direction, but I think well worth the effort.
Before starting the Valeriana, we read that the hike would take nine hours from beginning to end. As this was our first hike of the trip, we planned to take it easy. We planned to leave Pisogne in the afternoon, hike for a few hours, and camp overnight up in the hills before finishing the hike the next day. In theory, the hike should have gone like this:
Pisogne → S. Bartolomew → Zone → Colpiano → Dosso → Tassano → Colpiano → Pilzone
As it was difficult to come by any detailed map of the route online, we didn’t know that the blaze we should have been looking for was a brown and yellow V. Instead, we caught sight of the general white and red hiking blaze and stuck on that one, inadvertently following a route that somewhat mirrored the one we wanted to be on, but not quite.
For future walkers from Pisogne, the route does indeed start from the road behind the church.
Go into the church first and admire the old fresco-style artwork (especially if you actually know anything about art). To start the hike, walk around back to the road behind the church and go right. The road leads you through the downtown area, which in the summer is lively with market energy every day (except Sunday) and continues up into the hills, becoming progressively more challenging. Fortunately, there are regular opportunities for water stops. Fresh, clean mountain water flows from spits built over troughs that make for ideal water breaks and are located at regular intervals throughout the hike. But, make sure you have at least a couple liters per person (more if you’re camping) so you can refill, too.
Keep a sharp eye on those Vs, people!
We camped just outside of Zone that first night but lost our way between the Zone-Colpiano section. This section is tricky because it cuts down through mountain roads and there are brief portions where you walk on the road itself. Between keeping an eye out for cars coming around sharp turns and preparing to get off the road entirely if a large vehicle is approaching, it’s easy to forget to check for the blazes.
Once you get to Colpiano, the walk is extremely well-marked and pleasant. Rolling hills overlook Lake Iseo and paths wind through small towns boasting gorgeous architecture and small, pretty churches.
Once you arrive in Pilzone, you’ve completed the trail and will want to continue onto Iseo, a short 20-minute walk up the road that follows a flat bike path–just make sure to watch out for cyclists. Once you’re in Iseo, you can take the ferry back to Pisogne or a different town like Marone that also borders the lake. You just may want to explore Iseo a bit first!
*If you get lost in between Zone and Colpiano, don’t despair!*
Follow signs for Marone and you’ll enjoy quiet, cobblestone streets that zigzag down to the lakefront town. If you’re cashed out for the day, accommodation is readily available in the area, or plenty of places to stealthily set up camp for the night. If you’re determined to complete the walk, stop by the tourist office right by the ferry stop. It will provide the most updated version of the Valeriana route. Then, take the ferry from Marone to Pilzone (around €5) and simply complete the walk coming from Pilzone. After reaching Colpiano, follow signs back to Marone where you can once again take the ferry to return to your car.
I loved this hike for multiple reasons.
- It’s incredibly quiet. We rarely encountered anyone else on the trail.
- The terrain varies: Soft pine needles, grass, dirt, loose rocks, cobblestones, and pavement, all with tons of gorgeous outlooks over Lake Iseo.
- We ate delicious food for extremely cheap prices in the small towns.
I’d recommend this Northern Italy travel guide: Hiking the Via Valeriana around Lake Iseo to anyone who wants to get off the beaten track of well-known hikes, but also to anyone who likes to mix ‘n’ match the comforts of a lakeside vacation with hiking since there are so many cute small towns around Lake Iseo. With Italy having recently launched a digital nomad visa, if I were considering becoming a digital nomad, this would definitely be near the top of my list.
