Lake Como West Bank
A 1km walk along the (partially wooded) lake shore from Lenno's main square, Villa Balbianello has cinematic pedigree: this was where scenes from Star…
Must-see attractions in Lake Como & Around
Lake Como West Bank
The star of the show on a lake shore not bereft of elegant touches, the Villa Carlotta is a fabulous fusion of neoclassical architecture and harmonious…
Como
Como’s awesome marble-clad cathedral is one of the most important buildings on the lake, incorporating a variety of styles – Romanesque, Renaissance and…
Lake Como West Bank
This elegant 18th-century villa on the banks of Lake Como was once home to composer Vincenzo Bellini is now an award-winning luxury hotel.
Como
Como is flanked to the east and west by steep and thickly wooded hills (scarred in part by the spread of residential housing). Northeast along the…
Bellagio
The grounds of neoclassical Villa Melzi d’Eril are a highlight among Lake Como's (many) delightful places. The villa was built in 1808 for one of Napoleon…
Santuario della Madonna del Soccorso
Lake Como West Bank
On the heights above Ossuccio, this lavish sanctuary is the destination for devoted pilgrims who make the steep 30-minute climb, passing a series of…
Lake Como
High above the terracotta rooftops of Varenna, the imposing Castello di Vezio offers magnificent views over Lake Como. The 13th-century building was once…
Abbazia di San Pietro al Monte
Lake Como
Birdsong and the rush of a mountain stream accompany you as you make the pilgrimage to the Romanesque Abbazia di San Pietro al Monte (St Peter on the…
Lake Como West Bank
Once the site of a Roman fort and medieval settlement, Lake Como's only island forms its own little bay with the mainland, just offshore from Ossuccio…
Lake Como
Piazza Garibaldi is roughly cobblestoned and it's plain from its time-warped nature that nothing much has changed here down the centuries. Many of the…
Lake Como
The Cistercian Abbazia di Piona has a magnificent setting on a promontory stretching out into Lago di Como. There's evidence that a small chapel was built…
Lake Como West Bank
One of the most outstanding stile liberty (Italian art nouveau) villas in the lakes area, Villa Bernasconi was built by successful textile merchant Davide…
Lake Como
Lago di Como's northernmost towns of Dongo, Gravedona and Sorico once formed the independent republic of the Tre Pievi (Three Parishes) and were a hotbed…
Como
Hemmed in by houses these days and enclosing one side of what was once a medieval grain market, this Lombard Romanesque basilica dates back to the 7th…
Lake Como West Bank
Following signs out of central Cernobbio, take the scenic drive that winds 17km up through the residential villages behind Cernobbio to Monte Bisbino …
Como
About 500m south of Como’s city walls is this austere 11th-century Romanesque church, once the seat of a bishopric built on the orders of St Amantius of…
Como
Far from being a flashy collection of silk scarves, this highly educational study of Como’s long-standing textile industry explains the full silk-making…
Como
A grand villa overlooking the lake, northwest of the centre, Villa Sucota was built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It has been home to various…
Lake Como West Bank
A narrow cobblestone lane that was once part of a Roman road along the western side of Lake Como has been preserved in sections. The Antica Strada Regina…
Como
One of Como's most charming walks is the lakeside stroll west from Piazza Cavour. Passeggiata Lino Gelpi leads past the Monumento ai Caduti, a 1931…
Bellagio
The lavish gardens of Villa Serbelloni cover much of the promontory on which Bellagio sits. The villa has been a magnet for Europe's great and good,…
Villa Cipressi Botanical Gardens
Lake Como
The villa itself is a hotel, but the steeply terraced grounds are open to anyone willing to part with €6. The gardens bloom with cipressi (cypress trees),…
Lake Como
Some 15km northeast of Lecco, the village of Barzio is important above all as the birthplace of Alessandro Manzoni. Nearby, Pasturo retains something of…
Como
The photogenic lakeside Tempio Voltiano was built in 1927. This neoclassical temple is now a museum devoted to Como-born electric-battery inventor…
Como
Set facing the lake, the grand creamy facade of neoclassical Villa Olmo is one of Como's biggest landmarks. The extravagant structure was built in 1728 in…
Lake Como
Once an industrial centre, Bellano (5km north of Varenna) is a sleepy lakeside town with a singular sight: the Orrido, a powerful waterfall where the…
Chiesa di Santa Maria del Tiglio
Lake Como West Bank
This square-based, late-12th-century church has an unusual bell tower (probably added later), which is octagonal at the top and rises from the centre of…
Como
The polychromatic Broletto, or medieval town hall, sits right beside Como's towering duomo. Unusually, it butts right up against the cathedral and is very…
Lake Como West Bank
A scenic stony beach located in Rezzonico. To reach the beach, look for the 13th-century stone castle, built by the Della Torre clan and largely intact …
Lake Como West Bank
This cable car (about 300m north of Argengo's Piazza Roma) makes the five-minute climb to the 860m-high village of tiny Pigra every 30 minutes. From the…
Lake Como
Cycling fans might want to make this top of their Lago di Como list. Set in a village that's frequently featured in the Giro d'Italia race, this museum is…
Lake Como West Bank
Summer evenings in Lenno take on a hedonistic hue at the Lido di Lenno. People from near and far converge on this artificial sandy beach, located…
Lake Como & Around
The prettiest town along the valley floor is Tirano, terminus for trains arriving from Milan via Lake Como and others arriving from Switzerland. At its…
Lake Como
About 9km northeast of Lecco, at Ballabio Superiore, a turnoff west sees you ascend about 8km of switchbacks through wooded country to Piani dei Resinelli…
Lake Como
At Villa Monastero elegant balustrades and statues sit amid exotic shrubs; spiky yucca trees frame lake and mountain views. The villa itself is a former…
Lake Como West Bank
On the east side of Cernobbio, this small but lush garden makes a fine setting for a stroll. What was once an illegal refuse site has been dramatically…
Santuario della Madonna del Ghisallo
Lake Como
This tiny 17th-century church is a major destination for cyclists, who long ago began leaving jerseys, bicycles, medals and other objects. The place's…
Parco della Grigna Settentrionale
Lake Como
Spread around Grigne massif, this 5000-hectare park encompasses a mix of forests, pastures and rolling mountain peaks. There are some fine trails through…
Como
This picturesque villa with extensive gardens is generally open only for special events (conferences, weddings and the like). The grounds, however, open…
