Must see attractions in Lake Como

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…

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’s awesome marble-clad cathedral is one of the most important buildings on the lake, incorporating a variety of styles – Romanesque, Renaissance and…

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…

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…

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…

High above the terracotta rooftops of Varenna, the imposing Castello di Vezio offers magnificent views over Lake Como. The 13th-century building was once…

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…

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…

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…

One of the most outstanding stile liberty (Italian art nouveau) villas in the lakes area, Villa Bernasconi was built by successful textile merchant Davide…

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…

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…

Following signs out of central Cernobbio, take the scenic drive that winds 17km up through the residential villages behind Cernobbio to Monte Bisbino …

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…