The Tracciolino: The Cliff-Edge Path Above Val Codera That Nobody Knows

The Tracciolino is a path carved into the rock along the trace of an old aqueduct, at around 900 metres of altitude in the upper Val Codera, in the province of Sondrio. It is little more than a metre wide, cuts along the mountainside between granite walls and chestnut woods, and offers vertiginous views over the valley below and the Rhaetian Alps beyond. Almost no one knows it exists, and those who walk it understand why those who know it keep coming back.

The starting point is Novate Mezzola, on the north shore of Lake Como. From here you climb on foot — there is no road — toward Codera, a borgo reachable only after an hour and a half of walking. The path to Codera is itself an experience: a cobbled mule track rising through woodland and past waterfalls, the valley floor receding below you.

From Codera you continue toward the Tracciolino, which begins just above the village and runs east along the south-facing slope of the valley. Much of the path is cut directly into bare rock, with exposed sections where the void opens to your left and the cliff face presses in from the right. No equipment is required — the path is wide and safe — but a head for heights is essential.

The views are constant and stunning: the narrow green valley below, the snow-capped peaks of the Masino and Disgrazia groups above. You walk for about 6 kilometres in absolute silence, broken only by the sound of water still flowing through the aqueduct pipes. The path ends at Frasnedo, another roadless borgo, where a small osteria serves polenta and mountain cheeses.

The full circuit — Novate–Codera–Tracciolino–Frasnedo and back — is roughly 18 km with 1,200 metres of elevation gain, manageable in a long day. The better option is to sleep in Codera or Frasnedo and split it over two days. The best season is May–October.

The Tracciolino is one of the most beautiful paths in the Italian Alps and one of the least walked. It appears in no rankings, has no brand, no dedicated app. It has only rock, water, silence and the feeling of walking somewhere the world has forgotten.