Walk to the Soccorso Tower (of Barbarossa)

When you pass by boat or boat in front of the Isola Comacina and you turn your gaze towards the village of Ossuccio and Sala Comacina, the view falls surely on a small but clearly visible Tower that is located in the middle of the first section of the mountain, away from the center of the villages and other homes.

This is the Torre del Soccorso or Torre del Barbarossa, a heritage of the Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI), which is open to the public and can be visited only on certain days organized by the foundation.

All year round, however, it is possible to walk the route that leads from the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Soccorso to the entrance of the Tower and continues to Sala Comacina.

The path begins in Ossuccio, in Tremezzina, where you must follow the route that leads to the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Soccorso. You can easily park your car along Via Don Giovanni Folci, from where you can follow the different stages of the Sacro Monte route with its chapels.

Continue along the cobblestone path, slightly uphill and with frequent curves, until you reach the Sanctuary from which you have a view of the entire center of the lake: from the underlying mirror of "la zoca de l'oli" delimited by the Comacina island and the Balbianello peninsula, up to Tremezzo, Bellagio and Varenna, the horizon is delimited by Mount S. Primo, the Grigne and, in the distance, the first peaks of the Alps.

From here take the mule track downhill for the cars, after a few meters turn right towards Sala Comacina. Leave the mule track to follow a less beaten path and more mountainous than the one of the ascent to the Mount.

You will find several indicative signs that will lead you to the Tower.

After a series of descents, you will reach a path characterized by the presence of numerous boulders and pebbles: right in this stretch, on your left, you will find the wall that delimits the area of the Torre del Soccorso and on your right a vast rocky esplanade that looks very crumbly.

In the fenced-in grounds is the Tower complex. Situated on a rocky outcrop overlooking the lake and the Zoca de l'Oli, the Tower complex consists of two distinct buildings.
There is the actual tower, once the protagonist in the defensive role covering the Comacina Island, and a separate stone structure of Moltrasio.

During the days of the visit of the historical site it is possible to enter the protected area and to enter inside the whole complex.

Possibility of parking along Via Don Giovanni Folci.