GUIDDY EXPERIENCE
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The Chestnut Trail from Stresa to Belgirate: mule tracks, chestnuts and Lake Maggiore

Stresa, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola · Piemonte•1 day · Sunday•Hiking · 520 m
Experience
Day hikes
Difficulty ?
EASY
Where?
Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Piemonte
On your own?
No problem
Points
+14
The Chestnut Trail from Stresa to Belgirate: mule tracks, chestnuts and Lake Maggiore
Community photos
See all photos
Overview
The experience
Difficulty
What's included
Itinerary
Carpooling
What to bring
Your guide
Reviews
Questions
WHY THIS HIKE

Chestnut Trail on Lake Maggiore

In October the chestnut woods above Stresa are full of open husks and the paved mule tracks that once linked the lake villages become a carpet of leaves. The Chestnut Trail follows them all, from Stresa to Belgirate, halfway up the slope above Lake Maggiore.

Group chat a couple of days before
Come alone, leave with new friends

The experience

From Stresa we climb to the hamlet of Vedasco and take the mule track through chestnut woods and old terraces. We pass the little church of Passera and continue almost level, the lake always in view and the Borromean Islands below.

We reach Belgirate for lunch, with the old Romanesque church above the village. Back to Stresa by boat or bus, depending on timetables.

Wet leaves on stone are slippery: shoes with good soles. Boat or bus ticket for the return not included. Packed lunch or a trattoria in Belgirate.

Stresa is an hour and five from Milan on the A26, Carpugnino exit, and an hour by train from Milano Centrale. Paid parking in town. The return from Belgirate is by boat or local bus, ticket not included.

GOOD TO KNOW
Group chat
It opens a couple of days before: that's where the meeting point is confirmed and carpooling is arranged.
Free cancellation up to 3 days before
For the selected date: by 28 October, 23:59. You pay nothing when you book.
Recommended age 25–45
It's not a rule: it just tells you what kind of group to expect. You can still sign up if you're outside this range.
Guiddy accident insurance
Included in the price.
+14 Guiddy points
Your points grow with every outing, level you up and unlock discounts, exclusive outings and goodies.
Guiddy Coordinator (runs the group, Telegram included)
Included in the price.
Dog friendly
Your dog can come: add them when you book.

How hard is it, really

Guiddy scale
EASY
F
F+
I
I+
D
D+
400 m D+ · 9 km · 3h30
Exposure and exposed sections
NONE
No exposed sections reported on the route.
VERTIGO RISK
WHAT YOU NEED BEFORE YOU GO
✓
BEFORE YOU GO
Go to bed early, have a good breakfast and drink before you set off: you've got 3h30 and 400 m of ascent ahead, an easy pace, suitable for beginners
✓
IN YOUR BACKPACK
Warm layers, a windproof jacket, 1.5 litres of water and a headlamp: the days are getting shorter. Always with you: a plaster, an antiseptic wipe and a small bag for rubbish

What's included in the price

✓INCLUDED
✓Certified Guide
✓Guiddy accident insurance
✓Guiddy Coordinator (runs the group, Telegram included)
✕NOT INCLUDED
✕Packed lunch
✕Parking
✕Travel to Stresa
To get there, there's Guiddy carpooling, below.

Itinerary

One day, approximate times. The final details come in the group chat.

Elevation gain
400 m
Max altitude
520 m
Distance
9 km
Duration
3h30
Sunday
1 Nov
9 km · D+ 400 m · 3h30
Map
The stops · 9 km
Meeting point 9:30approximate
Meeting at Stresa, Stresa, provincia di Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Italia. The exact time is confirmed in the group chat. We usually meet a little earlier for breakfast together, when possible.
HOW TO GET THERE
09:30MEETING
Meeting at Stresa
We meet the Guidders at the Stresa landing stage and climb towards the upper hamlets.
10:15VIEWPOINT
The Vedasco chestnut woods
We enter the paved mule track among the chestnuts: open husks and leaves underfoot.
11:30CHURCH
The little church of Passera
A stop at the little church with a view over the Borromean Islands.
14:30RETURN
Arrival in Belgirate
We drop to the village past the old church. Lunch by the lake and back to Stresa by boat or bus.

How do you get to Stresa? By carpooling.

You say so when booking, then you get organised in the Telegram group. Contacts and costs are agreed between you: a seat isn't guaranteed.

WHO'S ALREADY GOING
for the selected date
Offering a seat Looking for a seat
Cars are added in the last few days, once the group is confirmed.

What to bring

A list made for this hike. No technical gear: just good shoes and a well-packed backpack.

Trekking boots
REQUIRED
Backpack
REQUIRED
Water supply
REQUIRED
Packed lunch
REQUIRED
Trekking poles
RECOMMENDED
Layered clothing
RECOMMENDED
Waterproof shell
RECOMMENDED
Sunglasses
RECOMMENDED
Sunscreen
RECOMMENDED

Your guide

Guide for this date · Sunday 1 November
Giulia M.
Giulia M.
· 3 outings
We'll email you when they have a new outing on the calendar.

Hi Guidders! 🧡 I'm Giulia, an environmental hiking guide: from the Marche originally, Lombard by adoption. I've always had a strong bond with nature and with walking, born among the hills and grown later among mountain trails. I love travelling and finding new routes, fascinated by a simple but extraordinary tool: our legs, able to take us almost anywhere with patience and stubbornness. For a long time I mostly walked alone. Then I discovered how good it is to share the wonder of a view and the feelings of a trail with other people — and that's why I do this job today. On my outings I bring enthusiasm, a willingness to listen and plenty of positive energy. 🥾🌿 See you in the mountains, Guidders!

Italiano
Inglese
Spagnolo
Guida Ambientale Escursionistica

Reviews

Only from people who completed the outing.
—
no reviews yet
Itinerary—
Organisation—
Overall experience—
Ibex
The first reviews come after the outing
We only ask for feedback from people who were really there.

You'll be among the first to share your story.

Questions?

I've only done easy trails, can I come?
⌄
Paths, mule tracks or wide trails requiring little physical preparation. You need to be fit enough to walk for 3h30 with 400 m of ascent. If in doubt, message Ibex on WhatsApp.
Can I join on my own?
⌄
How does carpooling work?
⌄
What happens if the weather is bad?
⌄
What if the group doesn't reach the minimum?
⌄
Until when can I cancel?
⌄
Book now, pay only if it goes ahead
MOST POPULAR
✓No charge now: the amount is only held on your card
✓Free cancellation up to 3 days before (for this date: 28 October, 23:59)
✓You're only charged once the group is confirmed, at 7 pm the evening before departure
✓Minimum not reached? No charge, nothing to do
Or pay straight away by card, PayPal, Satispay or Revolut. With Klarna you can also pay in interest-free instalments.
Ibex
Still have questions? Message Ibex
Ibex is Guiddy's virtual ibex: it answers everything, 24/7. In two messages it tells you whether this outing is for you, how to get there and what to pack.
Message Ibex on WhatsApp
No commitment: we're happy to answer even just for advice.
The Chestnut Trail from Stresa to Belgirate: mule tracks, chestnuts and Lake Maggiore

The Chestnut Trail from Stresa to Belgirate: mule tracks, chestnuts and Lake Maggiore

Stresa, (VB) · Piemonte
1 day · Hiking · 520 m
New: you'll be among the first Guidders to do it
Elevation gain
400 m
Max altitude
520 m
Distance
9 km
Exposed sections
None
Duration
3h30
Guiddy points
+14
6 photos
+2 photos
WHY THIS HIKE

Chestnut Trail on Lake Maggiore

In October the chestnut woods above Stresa are full of open husks and the paved mule tracks that once linked the lake villages become a carpet of leaves. The Chestnut Trail follows them all, from Stresa to Belgirate, halfway up the slope above Lake Maggiore.

Come alone, leave with new friends

The experience

From Stresa we climb to the hamlet of Vedasco and take the mule track through chestnut woods and old terraces. We pass the little church of Passera and continue almost level, the lake always in view and the Borromean Islands below.

We reach Belgirate for lunch, with the old Romanesque church above the village. Back to Stresa by boat or bus, depending on timetables.

Wet leaves on stone are slippery: shoes with good soles. Boat or bus ticket for the return not included. Packed lunch or a trattoria in Belgirate.

Stresa is an hour and five from Milan on the A26, Carpugnino exit, and an hour by train from Milano Centrale. Paid parking in town. The return from Belgirate is by boat or local bus, ticket not included.

How hard is it

Guiddy scale
EASY
F
F+
I
I+
D
D+
400 m D+ · 9 km · 3h30
WHAT YOU NEED BEFORE YOU GO
✓
BEFORE YOU GO
Go to bed early, have a good breakfast and drink before you set off: you've got 3h30 and 400 m of ascent ahead, an easy pace, suitable for beginners
✓
IN YOUR BACKPACK
Warm layers, a windproof jacket, 1.5 litres of water and a headlamp: the days are getting shorter. Always with you: a plaster, an antiseptic wipe and a small bag for rubbish

What's included

INCLUDED
✓Certified Guide
✓Guiddy accident insurance
✓Guiddy Coordinator (runs the group, Telegram included)
NOT INCLUDED
✕Packed lunch
✕Parking
✕Travel to Stresa

Itinerary

Sunday · approximate times
Map
Stops · 9 km
Meeting point 9:30Meeting at Stresa
We usually meet a little earlier for breakfast together, when possible.
09:30MEETING
Meeting at Stresa
We meet the Guidders at the Stresa landing stage and climb towards the upper hamlets.
10:15VIEWPOINT
The Vedasco chestnut woods
We enter the paved mule track among the chestnuts: open husks and leaves underfoot.
11:30CHURCH
The little church of Passera
A stop at the little church with a view over the Borromean Islands.
14:30RETURN
Arrival in Belgirate
We drop to the village past the old church. Lunch by the lake and back to Stresa by boat or bus.

How do you get to Stresa? By carpooling.

You say so when booking, then you get organised in the Telegram group.

WHO'S ALREADY GOING
for this date
Offering a seat Looking for a seat
Cars are added in the last few days, once the group is confirmed.

What to bring

A list made for this hike.
Trekking boots
REQUIRED
Backpack
REQUIRED
Water supply
REQUIRED
Packed lunch
REQUIRED
Trekking poles
RECOMMENDED
Layered clothing
RECOMMENDED
Waterproof shell
RECOMMENDED
Sunglasses
RECOMMENDED
Sunscreen
RECOMMENDED

Your guide

Sunday 1 November
Giulia M.
Giulia M.
3 outings with Guiddy
Guida Ambientale Escursionistica

Hi Guidders! 🧡 I'm Giulia, an environmental hiking guide: from the Marche originally, Lombard by adoption. I've always had a strong bond with nature and with walking, born among the hills and grown later among mountain trails. I love travelling and finding new routes, fascinated by a simple but extraordinary tool: our legs, able to take us almost anywhere with patience and stubbornness. For a long time I mostly walked alone. Then I discovered how good it is to share the wonder of a view and the feelings of a trail with other people — and that's why I do this job today. On my outings I bring enthusiasm, a willingness to listen and plenty of positive energy. 🥾🌿 See you in the mountains, Guidders!

We'll email you when they have a new outing on the calendar.

Reviews

— · none yet
Ibex
The first reviews come after the outing
Only from people who were really there.

You'll be among the first to share your story.

Questions?

I've only done easy trails, can I come?
⌄
Paths, mule tracks or wide trails requiring little physical preparation. You need to be fit enough to walk for 3h30 with 400 m of ascent. If in doubt, message Ibex on WhatsApp.
Can I join on my own?
⌄
How does carpooling work?
⌄
What happens if the weather is bad?
⌄
What if the group doesn't reach the minimum?
⌄
Until when can I cancel?
⌄
Ibex
Still unsure? Message Ibex on WhatsApp →
Sun 1 Nov · change
€24.90
per person
Book now →
Pay only if confirmed