Garzeno is the most populated municipality of the Albano Valley and the last inhabited centre to be encountered along the road leading from Dongo to the San Jorio Pass, which was once an important communication route between Lombardy, the Mesolcina Valley and the northern Alps. The village is located in a position well protected from the winds that blow over the lake and has a dry and mild climate throughout the year.
Garzeno is the perfect destination for hiking and nature lovers, it has numerous mountain trails for all difficulty levels that cross a real natural paradise offering beautiful views. Worthy of note are the roads leading to San Jorio, to Monte Marmontana and the peaks that act as a watershed between Val Cavargna, such as the Pizzo di Gino and Monte Tabor and the path that leads from the hamlet of Brenzeglio to the Refuge of Passo Giovo, former barracks of the Italian Finance Police built to combat the phenomenon of smuggling, which was very widespread until the 1970s.
The ancient heart of the village develops around the parish house, and can be reached through a steep cobbled mule track. It is characterised by rustic stone houses, some of which have votive frescoes, all grouped together and following the same inclination of the mountain slope. The Albano Valley is filled with numerous “Masun”, the typical rural buildings of Celtic origin with very steep pitched roofs covered in straw which testify to the farming tradition of the area.
However, the most important element of the historical-artistic heritage is the Parish Church of Saints Peter and Paul, built in the fifteenth century and extensively renovated in the seventeenth century with frescoes by the great Fiammenghino and Recchi.
Garzeno is also home of the “Braschino”, a sweet tasty focaccia bread made with walnuts, raisins or sultanas and sugar mixed with egg whites.
