Paderno d'Adda

Paderno d'Adda is a small village in the Lecco province of Lombardy, northern Italy, located on the southern edge of the Italian Prealps, south of the city of Lecco, and near the northeastern edge of Greater Milan.

Understand
Paderno d'Adda is famous for its old iron bridge (the San Michele Bridge) and it is a good gateway to the Adda river. It has a connection with Leonardo Da Vinci, who lived and worked for some time in the nearby town of Vaprio d'Adda. An open air museum (Ecomuseo Adda di Leonardo) celebrates the Italian genius and his works along the Adda river.

Get in
Paderno d'Adda is not far from Milan, making it a good choice for a day trip. Be careful to not confuse Paderno d'Adda with Paderno Dugnano, these are two different towns.

By train
The Paderno d'Adda/Robbiate train station is 1km/0.6mi from the bridge and the river. Regular trains run from Milano Porta Garibaldi station (direction Bergamo via Carnate).

By car
Take the A51 (tangenziale est) motorway northward up to Agrate, then continue toward Lecco. The road is a high speed freeway up to Carnate, then turns into a regular road. When you reach Cernusco Lombardone turn to the right and you will reach the San Michele Bridge in Paderno d'Adda.

Get around
The village is quite small and the river bank is only accessible by foot or by bike.

There are no signs in the village, so take a map with you.

Do
From San Michele Bridge, you can reach the Adda river bank. At the left of the bridge you will see a little chapel, here departs the road which leads to the river bank. Pay attention to the difference in height: the river lies 85mt below the bridge level and there is a steep road to climb when you return.

The river bank is reserved to pedestrian and cyclists. Expect a lot of people during sunny week-ends, since this is favourite place for locals to go walking, biking and jogging. Pay attention to little children, especially if you ride a bike.

The river bank is a great spot for photographers and can also be a quiet and peaceful place (when it's not packed with people).

Northward
Turn left and walk northward (leave the river at your right).



Southward
Turn right and walk southward (leave the river at your left) you can pass under the San Michele Bridge and continue along the river bank.



The path on the river bank then continues for many kilometers, eventually joining the Martesana channel which goes straight to the center of Milan. Pay attention to not push yourself too far, remember that you have to go back and there are no easy transportation systems to rely upon. Be also aware that the path climbs down on this direction, always remember that you have to go back.

Safety
Watch your step: some parts of the path are unprotected and a plunge in the river is a rather unpleasant experience. Pay particular attention near power plants and dams, a plunge there can easily turn from an unpleasant experience to a fatal one due to the rapid flow of the river.

For the same reason swimming in the river is discouraged, and even prohibited near the dams.

Risks are higher for children (do not left them unattended) and bikers, proceed slowly if you don't know the path very well.

Go next

 * Montevecchia