Top places to visit at Lake Como, Italy

TOP PLACES YOU NEED TO VISIT AT LAKE COMO

Since Italy wouldn't be Italy without landscapes that will leave you speechless, I also say with the same thought that a visit to Milan wouldn't be complete without at least a day spent at Lake Como.

Lake Como is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Italy, for which we need at least a week to enjoy everything it has to offer. Unfortunately, many of us do not have that much time, most of the time we only have one day. That's how I chose to visit this place. To allocate one day each of the two trips I had in Milan. This way I managed to see more places, in different seasons.

Below I will present you with the most beautiful places you can visit at Lake Como and I hope to inspire you in creating the perfect itinerary.

Before moving on to the places worth visiting, I would like to mention that Lake Como is easiest to reach from Milan, and in some areas, even from Bergamo.

Bergamo airport has frequent flights from most eEuropean cities and usually the prices are really low for plane tickets. I will detail the logistical aspects for each location.

So, let's move on to the topic of this article:

*at the end of the article you will also find an itinerary idea;

TOP MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES TO VISIT AT LAKE COMO

VARENNA

Varenna is a fishing village on Lake Como, but it has a special elegance that differs from the classic appearance of fishing villages.

Besides a relaxing walk through the narrow streets of the town, which is not to be missed, there are other tourist attractions and activities in Varenna, many enough that can keep you busy a whole day. For a simple stroll through the streets, only a few hours are enough.

Varenna can be reached by train directly from Milan's central station, and the journey takes just over an hour. It should be borne in mind that trains on this route may be delayed. There is also the option of renting a car, or an organised trip, departing from Milan.

PLACES TO VISIT AND ACTIVITIES IN VARENNA:

• Villa Monastero, details here;

• Castello di Vezio;

• Chiesa San Giorgio;

• Promenade du Patriarche;

• Church of Sf John the Baptist;

• You can opt for an organized tour to Villa Balbianello, one of the most beautiful locations on Lake Como., details here;

• Guided trekking through the forest, with picnic included, details here;

• Pasta and tiramisu cooking class, details here;

WHERE TO STAY IN VARENNA:

- New Apartment Lake View 11 - apartment-type accommodation unit, with kitchen, terrace, parking and lake view;

- New Attic Lake View 5 - apartment-type accommodation unit, with kitchen, terrace, parking and lake view. The apartment is located in the attic;

- Casa Sofie e Charlotte - apartment-type accommodation unit, which can accommodate between two and four people. Parking and internet are included in the booking price;

BELLAGIO

Bellagio, also known as the Pearl of Lake Como, is a bit more well-maintained than other villages in the area. It is a luxurious location, where it is speculated that some Hollywood celebrities have properties. As with Varenna, if you just choose to walk the streets, two to three hours, or even less, are enough.

It is a small town, with a few narrow streets, well-kept buildings and many local shops. A walk through the old town and along the lakefront will make your visit to this place worthwhile. If you want to spend more time in Bellagio, below I leave some activities and places that you can add to your itinerary.

First, however, I want to mention that Bellagio can be reached by ferry from Varenna or Como, by rented car, or as part of an organised trip from Milan.

Although it is considered an expensive location, the prices of food at restaurants are not much different from those in Milan, so don't hesitate to eat here if the situation requires it. We ate at Ristoro Forma e Gusto Pizzeria-Ristorante, the food was good and the prices decent.

PLACES TO VISIT AND ACTIVITIES IN BELLAGIO:

• Vila Menzi;

• Vila Sebelloni;

• The most beautiful view in Bellagio - at the end of Salita Serbelloni street;

• Basilica San Giacomo;

• Punta Spartivento

• Sunset boat ride, details here;

• Drumetie usoara, ghidata, details here;

• Kayaking on Lake Como, details here;

• Stand up paddle on the lake, details here.

BEST ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS IN BELLAGIO:

- Casta House - apartment-type accommodation unit, with two rooms, which can accommodate up to four people. Parking and internet are included in the booking price;

- Casa Carolina - apartment-type accommodation unit, with one bedroom and a sofa bed. It can accommodate up to four people. The location has a small garden, parking and internet included in the booking price;

- Casa San Giacomo - studio accommodation unit with one bedroom and a sofa bed. Parking and internet are included in the booking price and pets are allowed.

COMO

Como is the most touristic and crowded town on Lake Como. It is, practically, the town that connects the rest of the tourist areas on Lake Como and also the location where many tourists choose their accommodation. It is crowded here regardless of the season, and if you want to enjoy the peace, without too many tourists around, I recommend arriving as early as possible in the morning.

Como can be reached from Milan by train, by rented car or as part of an organised day trip.

ACCOMMODATION UNITS IN COMO:

- Megaride Guest House - accommodation unit with double, triple or family rooms. The location has parking and internet, which are included in the booking price;

- La Corte Fiorita Como - accommodation unit with double or triple rooms, located near the train station;

- AcquaTerraFuoco - City apartments - apartment-type accommodation unit, with one or two rooms. It has a private kitchen.

PLACES TO VISIT AND ACTIVITIES IN COMO

• Santa Maria Cathedral ;

• The Old Town;

• Porta Torre;

• Volta Temple and Gardens;

• Vila Olmo;

• Silk Museum;

• Volta Museum;

BRUNATE

If there were a perfect place to enjoy the view of Lake Como from above, it would be Brunate, also known as the balcony of the Alps. It is a holiday home town where you can admire the Art Nouveau villas of the wealthy Milanese.

It is very easy to get there by the funicular from Como. The ticket costs €6/person round trip, and the queues can be quite long, so arm yourself with patience and plan more time for this activity.

Once you arrive in Brunate, besides the spectacular view of the lake, you can also visit the cathedral and the Volta Lighthouse. To visit this small town you need approximately two to three hours.

NESSO

Nesso is one of the villages with vertical streets, located on the shores of Lake Como, where superb views of the lake appear from time to time between the houses. The view for which it has become consecrated, that of the Orrido di Nesso waterfall, which has made its way between the houses of the locals, can be observed from below, from the lake level. It is a bridge that can be reached by descending many steps. Also, that view is not the only one of the waterfall, there are others, which you can discover if you explore the streets of the town.

The village is very small and quiet, but visited by tourists attracted by the waterfall that flows directly into the lake. In addition to the view from the bridge, the waterfall can also be admired from the boat, and if you are lucky enough that there are no people on the bridge, the view would be even more spectacular.

Nesso can be reached by bus C30 from Bellagio. It can also be reached from Como, but you have to change many means of public transport and it is more complicated, especially if there are no regular services. By car (rented) it is equally easy to get there from both Como and Bellagio. There is also the option of booking a boat trip departing from various nearby locations.

INFORMATION YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT VISITING LAKE COMO:

• I have visited this place in the cold season every time, more precisely in November and January (that's when I found the cheapest plane tickets to this location). I can say that the scenery and the experience of visiting the villages of Lake Como are no less impressive in the cold season, the landscapes are the same, maybe less green, without colorful flowers climbing on buildings or blooming oleanders on the edge of the lake's promenades. Also, many shops and terraces may be closed, and in many cases there will be works to restore the facades of buildings, roads or simple rearrangements of shops. Another disadvantage to visiting this location in the cold season is that the day is shorter, you have less time to explore and there is a risk of it raining a lot, being an area with a lot of humidity. The positive side is that there will be fewer tourists and in theory, although there seem to be quite a few disadvantages to visiting this location in winter, in reality they don't weigh that much, and the joy of exploring such a beautiful place will be the same regardless of the season.

• The waiting time for boats and ferries is quite long, although they are quite frequent. Even in winter, the queues can be very long in Como, or even Varenna.

• Don't miss a boat ride, the view of the data from the lakeside is superb. Find some options here;

• Boat/ferry tickets can be purchased online, this way you save some time standing in lines. Details here.

• One day is not enough to enjoy the beauty of Lake Como, even with a rental car. The lake is very large, in the shape of an inverted Y, and just going around it without stopping takes almost 4 hours;

• Orrido di Bellano is considered the most beautiful canyon at Lake Como (I didn't get to visit it). It is located in Bellano;

• The most beautiful villa, where scenes from a James Bond movie were filmed, is Villa Balbianello, which can be visited from March to the end of October. Link to the details about a trip to this villa.
  

CONCLUSION ABOUT VISITING LAKE COMO

Italy is my favorite country when it comes to beautiful places, and Lake Como is definitely one of the most beautiful places to visit in this country. I managed to get to this area of ​​Italy twice, and I hope to manage to get there at least once more because there are still many villages (I'm sure are absolutely gorgeous) that I haven't visited.

If you are wondering how you could organize a visit to the locations presented above, I leave you the option that I would apply, for which you need three days: departure from Milan by train to Varenna - ferry to Bellagio - boat ride to Nesso, returning to Bellagio - ferry from Bellagio to Como - funicular to Brunate - returning to Milan. Obviously, for each location you can allocate your time depending on what you want to visit. If you just want to walk the streets, without visiting museums or villas, then even two days in summer, when there is more light, can be enough.

Read also about the experience in Milan, or Verona, which you can visit if you have more time. You can also read about other interesting locations in Europe: places to visit in England, Malaga, or Paris.

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