Sixteen kilometres of packed earth, a river you can hear but barely see, and a rabbit that froze mid-trail like it owned the place. That was Tuesday morning in Parco del Lura.
Most runners heading to Lombardy think Lake Como. Maybe the Navigli canal path if they want flat. Almost nobody mentions the Lura valley — a green corridor that cuts quietly from the hills above Bulgorello all the way down past Saronno, through villages where the loudest sound at 7 a.m. is a church bell and someone's espresso machine.
I found it by accident. And now I keep going back.
The Route That Hooked Me
The main trail follows the Torrente Lura — the stream that carved this valley — on packed earth and gravel. Mostly flat, with gentle rises that barely register on the watch. You can piece together loops from 4 km up to 17+ miles if you're feeling ambitious, but the sweet spot for a solid morning run is the stretch between Lomazzo and Rovello Porro: roughly 10 km out and back, shaded for most of it, with a fitness circuit halfway through that has bars, stretching stations, and ab benches scattered along the path.
No traffic. No cyclists yelling "on your left." Just you, the trail, and the occasional dog walker who nods like you're both in on the same secret.
What Makes It Special
Dai, I've run in a lot of parks. Malta's coastline, the Sliema promenade at dawn, hill repeats in Dingli. Parco del Lura is different because it doesn't try to impress you. There's no dramatic viewpoint, no Instagram-ready cliff edge. It's just... quiet. Relentlessly, beautifully quiet.
The vegetation is thick — almost tropical in summer, with tall grasses and wildflowers swallowing the edges of the path. In spring, the green is so bright it looks filtered. And the wildlife is unreal for a park sandwiched between Como and Milan. I spotted a wild rabbit crouched under the brambles, ears up, completely unbothered. Like it had seen plenty of runners before and decided we weren't worth the adrenaline.
The Practical Stuff
Getting there: The park stretches across several comuni between Como and Varese provinces. Easiest access for runners is from Lomazzo or Rovello Porro — both have free parking near the trailheads. From Milan, it's about 40 minutes by car or a train to Saronno plus a short walk.
Surface: Packed earth and gravel. Road shoes work fine when it's dry, but after rain you'll want something with grip. The trail doesn't drain fast.
Best time: Early morning, any season. Summer gets humid but the tree cover helps. Autumn is gorgeous — the valley turns gold and the air finally has that bite to it.
Water: Bring your own. There are a couple of fountains near the fitness circuit but don't count on them working. Basta, just carry a bottle.
Distance options: 4 km easy loop (Saronno urban park section), 10 km out-and-back (Lomazzo to Rovello Porro), or 17+ miles if you connect the full valley trail from Bulgorello south.
And if you need a reason to keep going past kilometre eight — the trails just outside the park boundary open up into countryside so green it looks like someone turned the saturation up. Old farmhouses, church spires in the distance, the kind of place that makes you stop and stare even when you promised yourself you wouldn't walk.
Who's Coming With Me
Honestly, the best part of running Parco del Lura isn't the trail. It's the company. My running buddy has four legs, a scruffy face, and zero interest in pace targets. He just wants to be outside, nose to the ground, tail up, living his best life between the trees.
There's something about running with a dog that strips away all the performance anxiety. No splits to chase, no Strava segments to nail. Just movement, fresh air, and the occasional sprint when something rustles in the bushes.
If you're ever in Lombardy and need a break from the tourist routes — skip the lakefront, find the Lura valley, and just run. No plan, no pressure. The trail does the rest.
I've written about running Malta's iconic M2S race if you want to see what racing on the island looks like — very different energy, same obsession.
Have you run Parco del Lura? Or got a hidden trail in Lombardy I should know about? Drop me a message — I'm always looking for the next quiet path.