The No. 10 trail starts in the village of Velate, which is a very old hamlet, or castlery, that was part of the city of Varese. Velate is in a quiet, peaceful setting far from the busy streets of the city centre and other main roads. Our trail starts in the old part of the centre of the village at the junction of Via Duca d’Aosta and Via Piatti.

The village of Velate is a very old hamlet, or castlery, that was part of the city of Varese. Velate is in a quiet, peaceful setting far from the busy streets of the city centre and other main roads. The oldest part in the centre of the village features old houses dating back to the fifteenth century, impressive residential villas and a mediaeval parish church dedicated to St. Stephen. Velate is probably best known for its famous tower which was built at the beginning of the millennium and is set back from the village.

Rasa is a hamlet on the edge of the city of Varese and can be easily found by following the SP 62 (provincial road) to Brinzio. The heart of this quiet, picturesque village on the western slopes of Mount Chiusarella is very old with the ancient Church of San Gottardo and the parish church of Santa Maria degli Angeli that are well worth a visit, as is the “Stagno della Tagliata”, a pond recognised locally as a natural monument.