Besnate between trails, nature and archaeology

Trails, nature and local history in Besnate

If you would like to combine trails, natural landscapes and local history, Besnate offers several different points of connection. The focus is the Rete dei Sentieri dei Borghi. It comprises five trails and was established to connect the four districts of Besnate. The Anello dei Borghi circular route begins at the Ponte della ferrovia on Via Libertà.

Along forest paths and through parkland

For Besnate's walking group, forest paths alternate with nearby cycle paths and lightly trafficked roads within the town. These different types of paths give local walking a varied character, without implying any particular route length or walking time.

The landscape setting includes the municipality of Besnate, which belongs to the Varese section of the Parco Regionale Lombardo del Ticino. Its connection with the Parco Regionale Lombardo del Ticino adds a nature theme to the trails and also makes Besnate interesting for stays in which landscape and activity play an important role.

Church, square and museum

Piazza Santa Maria del Castello is fully accessible. Santa Maria del Castello itself is a small rectangular single-nave church building with a square choir. The Museo Etnografico e della Civiltà Contadina presents important aspects of everyday life in the past.

Lagozza and its archaeological significance

A particularly distinctive chapter of the area's history is Lagozza di Besnate. It gave its name to the Lagozza culture of the same name. Archaeological investigations at Lagozza di Besnate uncovered pile-dwelling structures and yielded numerous prehistoric finds. Those interested in early settlement history and archaeology will therefore find a concrete local connection between the landscape and cultural history here.

The Lagozza basin is now drained; in the past, it was an extensive marsh. Lagozzetta is a second archaeological area that was identified in the 19th century a short distance from Lagozza. Both names point to the area's particular historical depth, with the marsh understood as an earlier form of landscape and Lagozzetta as an area identified in the 19th century.

Routes and regional connections

Besnate is one of the municipalities participating in the Castelli Viscontei project. Within its framework, seven routes known as “Percorsi del Cuore” were created. The project broadens the view beyond the individual trails in Besnate and connects the town with a regional route theme, without extending the status of these routes beyond their documented creation.

Maize as part of the local character

The local character also includes Mais di Besnate. It was reintroduced in 2014 after more than 60 years and is traditionally cultivated and processed. When choosing your hotel in Besnate, you can therefore set the focus of your stay between trails, nature, local history and local tradition.

Further destinations: Arcumeggia, Brebbia, Bedero Valcuvia, Besozzo, Brunello, Induno Olona, Leggiuno, Comerio

To the higher-level travel overview: Varese.