Southern Grigna or “Grignetta”
The "younger sister" of the Grigne group
The highest peak in the Grigne group is the Northern Grigna, also known as Grignone, located between Lake Como and Valsassina in the province of Lecco. With an impressive elevation of 2,410 metres, it is an internationally-renowned destination for mountain lovers and offers trekking routes suitable for all, from experienced hikers to families with children.
Featuring three distinct slopes, the Grigna presents a variety of extraordinary landscapes. The southwestern side, the steepest and most challenging for climbers, overlooks the eastern shore of Lake Como. The eastern side, facing Valsassina, is a gentler climb through woods. Finally, the northern face forms a vast glacial basin that extends towards the Cainallo Pass and the Esino Lario area, well- known for its numerous caves and abysses and a popular destination for potholers.
Speleologists are mainly drawn to the Grigna by its abysses, some of the deepest in Italy. The water flowing through these caves forms the River Fiumelatte eight kilometres away in Varenna. This river was also studied by Leonardo da Vinci, who mentioned it in his Codex Atlanticus.
The summit of the Grigna offers stunning views, from the Alps to the Bernese Oberland, from the Matterhorn to Mount Rosa and the mountain ranges in the Triveneto. On very clear days, Milan’s Cathedral can be made out.
An old legend is associated with the Grigne Group. It is the tale of an incredibly beautiful but cruel female warrior, who executed a knight who fell in love with her.
Charmed by her beauty and unable to live without her, the knight went to her castle and declared his love. But the woman had been made heartless by years of warfare and ordered one of her sentinels to kill him.
Legend has it that God punished the warrior by turning her into a mountain, the majestic Grignone, while the sentinel became Monte Grignetta.
The name “Grigna” is thought to have come from “grignà” meaning “to smirk” in the Lombard dialect, probably a reference to the many caves in the mountain group.
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