Lake Como

Lake Como (Lago di Como; also called: Lario) is in the provinces of Como and Lecco in Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is part of the Italian Lake District. It has been popular with visitors since the early 20th century for its combination of fresh air, water, mountains and good weather.

Understand

The lake is shaped like an inverted 'Y', with two 'legs' starting at Como in the south-west and Lecco in the south-east, which join together half-way up, and the lake continues up to Lecco, Varenna and next Colico in the north. The first few kilometres of the legs at the southern end of the lake are relatively flat, but Lake Como becomes more mountainous as you head northwards into the Alps. Some of the nearby peaks go slightly above the tree-line so the views are really impressive. In the winter, there is skiing in the nearby valleys.

The area around Lake Como is pretty characteristic. It has a kind of flair and sense of history that tends to impress its visitors in a sense deeper than only from a touristic point of view. It has been appreciated for its beauty and uniqueness for ages, and even as early as the Roman times. Its atmosphere and natural surroundings have been the inspiration for an important part of the creation of Naboo, in the Star Wars movies (in the same way as the atmosphere in Tozeur and Matmata have been recreated in Episode IV, A New Hope).

Cities

• 1 Lierna — very exclusive Borgo near Varenna, is called the "Portofino of Lake Como", the whole town was sculpted by sculptor Giannino Castiglioni, purposely kept secret to maintain VIP privacy, often taken off the maps. Many empresses, queens, princesses and nobles found refuge and peace in Lierna for centuries. The Villa di Plinio, called Villa Commedia, is from Ancient Rome times. Lierna is historically a holiday resort of the high international nobility (the village is the place where the Knightly Order of the House of Savoy was founded) and of international celebrities and VIPs who want absolute privacy. Lierna Lake Como is the most portrayed place in the paintings of the whole of Lake Como over the centuries and enjoys the most view of Lake Como overlooking the tip of Bellagio.
• 2 Bellagio — in front of Lierna, 10 minutes by boat, has nice views at the top of the lake. The Rockfeller family villa was in Bellagio.
• 3 Colico — nice views at the top of the lake, but the town is not that attractive. There is a World War I fort with guns nearby, open one day a week.
• 4 Como — at the southern end of the lake, the lake's main town is a good base and, although not as attractive as some of the other towns, it remains an elegant resort. The town has a population of 80,000 people and has Roman or pre-Roman origins.
• 5 Esino Lario — a mountain village, at the end of Lierna Mountain, that hosted the Wikimania conference in 2016.
• 6 Inverigo
• 7 Lecco — the town at the end of the south-eastern branch of the lake. Population of 45,000 people.
• 8 Menaggio — the main town on the western shore, it's attractive and not as touristy as Bellagio and Varenna opposite. Parking your car is a nightmare. It has a youth hostel (often full at weekends). Has a nice pedestrian-only area, around two squares at the lake-front or Lungolago with shops, coffee-bars, hotels, ice-cream parlours (gelaterie) and restaurants. Along the lake-front there's a mini-golf with a snack-bar.
• 9 Moltrasio — a village in the southwestern leg of the lake
• 10 Nesso — a very small town about half-way between Como and Bellagio on the western leg of the lake.
• 11 Perledo - a village close to Varenna
• 12 Torno — a town in the southwestern leg of the lake
• 13 Tremezzo — beautiful little town, now part of Tremezzina, and right across from Bellagio. Main attractions are Villa Carlotta with its splendid botanical garden and nice waterfront, and nearby Villa del Balbianello.
• 14 Varenna — another attractive town on the eastern shore opposite Menaggio and Bellagio. Worth visiting for the attractive and relaxing gardens of Villa Cipressi and Villa Monastero. Also has the remains of a castle (Castello di Vezio) where a falconer gives shows occasionally. The castle is a steep hike, with a rise of many hundreds of vertical feet.

Other destinations

• Isola Comacina — an island near Tremezzina

Southern Lake Como district

The southern part of the district contains the northern part of the historic land of Brianza, which lies between this district and the Grande Milano district. This is a wealthy and mostly industrial and residential area.

Paderno D'Adda and its surroundings, with the old San Michele bridge and Leonardo's connections

Montevecchia and the Curone park, which offers great views on the entire Po Plain, and is therefore known as the Tetto della Brianza (Brianza's rooftop)

Get in

The main access to the lake is from Milan and Bergamo. It is also possible to cross the border from Lugano (Switzerland), and arriving at the lake at Menaggio. In the north, the lake can be accessed through the Splügen pass (closed from end of autumn to the beginning of spring), or from St. Moritz, both entering from Switzerland.

By train

Regular trains run from Milan to Como (which has 2 stations: Como San Giovanni and Como Lago). Como San Giovanni Station is outside of the center, but there are buses that stop there. You can buy tickets at the tobacconist in the station for a few euros, or walk to the center of town.

Overnight sleeper trains run from Amsterdam via Duesseldorf, Cologne, Frankfurt and Basel stopping at Como San Giovanni on their way to Milan. Similar daytime trains also run.

Trains also run from Milan and Bergamo to Lecco, some of them also continue up to the Eastern Shore to Varenna and Colico and then to Sondrio and Tirano.

Get around

By bus

Frequent buses run up the Western Shore from Como to Menaggio. A few then continue on to Colico.

By boat

Several boats and hydrofoils a day travel all the way up the lake from Como to Colico stopping at most of the towns en route. The distances are long, so you shouldn't expect to visit more than 2–3 villages in a day. For example, the regular ferry takes around 2 hours to go from Como to Bellaggio. There are fast services that travel faster, stop at fewer places and cost more. Less frequent boat/hydrofoils travel down the eastern leg between Bellagio and Lecco.

There are additional frequent services between the 'triangle' of towns in the centre of the lake: Menaggio, Bellagio and Varenna. In season, there is a boat service for the mid-lake (Bellano, Lenno, Villa Carlotta and Tremezzo in addition to Menaggio, Varenna and Bellagio). It runs hourly 09:00–18:00.

Timetables are available at tourist information offices, at the quayside or online from Gestione Navigazione Laghi.

You can get a day pass that covers most of the lake for €25.80 (Sep 2019), and other passes that cover only part of the lake for less. With these passes, you must pay a supplement to use the faster hydrofoils. By comparison, a one-way ticket on the regular ferry from Como to Bellaggio (ca 2 hr) costs €10.40, while a return ticket on the hydrofoil (45 min) costs about €30 (Sep 2019).

If you want to discover Lake Como by yourself, you can rent a 40 hp motorboat to drive without any ship's license. If you stay in Menaggio, Bellagio, Tremezzo, Cadenabbia and Varenna you can contact AC Boat. Good rates and service and very nice boats.

By train

On Lake Como a railway is available only on the eastern shore of the lake, with stations between Lecco and Colico. Regional trains stop in all stations; while direct trains only in few of them; the stations on Lake Como are: Lecco (also direct trains), Abbadia Lariana (some direct trains), Mandello, Lierna, Fiumelatte, Varenna (the name of the station is Varenna Esino at it is actually located in Perledo; also direct trains), Bellano (also direct trains), Dervio, Dorio, Piona, Colico (also direct trains). From south to north, the railway line connects Milan to Morbegno, Sondrio and Tirano (in Valtellina); in Colico another line allows to reach Chiavenna in Valchiavenna.

Direct trains depart from Milan central station; while regional trains from Milan Porta Garibaldi. In general there is a direct and regional train every two hours, which means that basically there is either train every hour; the service is more intense in the morning and evening (for commuters moving in the morning towards Lecco and Milan and in the evening from Lecco and Milan); it starts at around 06:00 from Milan and it finishes with the last train from Milan at 21:20. It is important to take attention to the different timelines during weekdays and weekends (there is also a winter and summer timeline); in general through trains are not a reliable mean of transport on the lake by night.

The railway on the eastern shore of the lake is a convenient mean of transport also to reach other destinations on the lake. Considering the fast direct trains from Milan to Varenna (the name of the station is Varenna Esino) take around 1 hour, from Varenna is the possible to connect by boat to other towns, such as Bellagio, Menaggio, Tremezzo with frequent boats and other towns with less frequent boats.

By car

Roads run up and down most of the shores. On the Western Shore, road works are common and travel duration can vary greatly. You can expect to average 40–60 km/h. Despite the construction of new tunnels, the road on the Western Shore still crosses the centre of many villages. Avoid the road if you are not a keen driver and dislike small roads, hairpins, steep inclines, sharp bends, and heavy traffic. Fatal accidents, often involving motorcyclists, are common.

The Eastern Shore is served by the SS36 highway, a two-lane fast road that connects Milan and Lecco to Colico and the adjacent Valtellina region. Be aware that there are no exit other than Lecco, Bellano and Colico. The other villages are served by the old shoreline road, which offers good views to the lake but it's also a bit challenging, due to its small lanes, sharp bends and dark tunnels.

Parking in some areas can be problematic, especially if you have a big car. A small car can be much more convenient for both travelling and parking.

By motorcycle

The entire lake area is popular with motorcyclists from all over Europe.

By bicycle

On Lake Como you can ride with rental bike shops available for easy biking itineraries and rental services without guide, bikes can be rent with special accessories and with free delivery at hotels and B&B.

See

• Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo offers great views of the lake from its large impressive gardens which are famous for the wide varieties of plants. The villa is also a museum containing a number of sculptures and artworks.
• Villa Monestero in Varenna.

Itineraries

• The Wayfarer's Path of Leonardo da Vinci
• Sentiero del Viandante (Lierna)

Do

Boat and plane trips

Take a boat trip. The most popular tourist towns seem to be Bellagio, Menaggio, and Varenna. Gravedona and Domaso (in the north) and Bellano, Lenno, and Argegno (mid-lake) are also worth a stop (no more than two hours required for each).

Take a flight over the lake. Aero Club Como offers flights in seaplanes.

Hiking, skiing and water sports

The nearest skiing area is the Piani di Bobbio site. This is a quite basic resort, with easy and intermediate downhill ski slopes. This is the nearest ski area from Milan and a very good one for beginners (but not very thrilling for experts).

Hike in the mountains. There are various paths, from the easiest one to the most strenuous, and many mountain huts and resting points. Most paths offer spectacular views across the lake and sometimes it is even possible to see both Lake Lugana and Lake Como from the same place, such as Monte Grona. The tourist office in Menaggio has a wide selection of possibilities. Lecco is also a good base to start a hike, particularly because you can reach many starting points without a car. You can also find good sites for rock climbing.

Try a round of golf or tennis at the Villa D'Este or Monticello golf clubs. Menaggio e Cadenabbia Golf Club, just a few kilometers inland from Menaggio, is where George Clooney is said to be a member.

Do some water sports on the Lake. There are two locations that rent motor boats. Lower horsepowers do not require a boating license.

More water sports: in most of the lakeside towns, you will find opportunities to rent various kinds of boats. Many towns also have sailing and/or (kite) surfing schools. Water skiing is possible from some towns.

The Lake Como Greenway is an almost 6.4-km walkway on the west side on the lake. While some parts are not lake-front, it is mostly lake-front and its route near Bolvedro/Tremezzo goes through a very nice lake-front park. The best towns to join the green way are Lenno and Tremezzo.

• 1 Cablecar Argegno - Pigra (Bus C10 to Argegno, or ferry), ☏ +39 031 821344. Take a cable car then hike down to Colonno (~2 hr). (updated Sep 2015)
• Visit the Roman Stone and Strada Regia. Torno, one of the most picturesque villages perched on this lake shore , is the starting point for the itinerary to Piazzaga. Following the red arrows to the “strada regia” and the signs to Molina, Piazzaga/Massi avelli you will take the path along a mule track, along which you can find views on the lake, a Roman stone arch and a rich wildlife. You will then get to a stone bridge on a stream and by keeping your left you will head towards the “massi avelli”, erratic boulders where tombs have been graved. You then go ahead to Piazzaga, take a nice break and eat or drink some typical and traditional food in the Crotto and enjoy the impressive view on the whole lake.Then slowly go to Montepiatto and visit the "Pietra Pendula " and go back to Torno. 
• Beaches. Discover all the towns around Lake Como where you can spend a pleasant day on the lake with the possibility of swimming in the clear waters to enjoy a day of relax and fun. Lake Como is full of lidos and beaches, so a tan on Lake Como is guaranteed. 
• Mountain ranges. Lake Como is surrounded by some imposing peaks, which are reflected in its waters and render the landscape unique. The valleys surrounding Lake Como are some of the most beautiful areas in the Prealps, rich in vegetation and populated by numerous animal species. It is a homogeneous area from which many excursions start along old military roads and trails towards mountain pastures and refuges. The Grigna, Resegone and Legnone are important mountain ranges, but San Primo and the Pizzo di Gino, which encircle the lake, become especially atmospheric and unforgettable during long summer sunsets and in the warm autumn light that encircles their contours, in winter whiteness and in the spring freshness. The mountains and valleys include the whole local area around the lake, with hills and mountain ranges that rise from the plain and enclose countryside and villages, reliefs and woods: Valsassina, Valvarrone, Valle San Martino and Val d’Esino, Val d’Intelvi, Val Menaggio, Val Cavargna, Val Solda and the valleys of the Upper Western Lario. Lake Como’s mountain ranges offer endless opportunities for excursions and trekking 

Buy

Market days:

• Como on Saturdays (at the town's Medieval walls)
• Lenno on Tuesday mornings
• Dongo has a market once a week.

Souvenirs of Lake Como

An article of silk

Como has been for many years the most important centre for silk production in the world, boasts a long tradition in this sector and holds the title of "world capital of silk". It is said that it all began thanks to Mr. Pietro Boldoni of Bellano and we are talking about 1510. He was the first to open a silk industry in Como. And to further testify to the importance of the sector for the Lake Como area, there are the Silk Museum (in Como) and the Civic Museum Setificio Monti (in Abbadia Lariana). Two must-see places if you are interested in getting to know this fascinating world up close. In any case, whether you buy a tie, a foulard, a scarf or a dress, if it is made of silk you will have bought the souvenir par excellence in these parts!

Gastronomic products

Yes, I think there is nothing more linked to its territory of origin than its food and wine products, that is, those products that the locals bring to their tables! Depending on the conformity of a place, the products available vary greatly. And since Lake Como is, first of all (and by definition) a lake, but certainly also a mountain, its typical products to put in the shopping cart are: cheeses (zincarlin, semuda, Lariano di capra, Lariano d'Alpeggio , ricotta ... just to name a few), fish (probably the most "famous", and also the easiest to transport on a possible return trip, is the missultin), oil, honey, local cured meats (head salami, mortadella di liver), flour for polenta and of course desserts (braschin, miascia, mataloc, resta…). For fans there is no shortage of craft beers and IGP wine.

Wooden souvenirs

Because even in this sector on Lake Como the artisan tradition is well rooted: in the past there were many carpenters, producers of more or less valuable furniture (the Cantù carpenters were very famous) or even cabinetmakers. Not to mention the renowned shipyards that, scattered (once many, today fewer) around the lake, have given and still give life to splendid boats, more or less elegant, maximum exaltation of craftsmanship. In short, the Larians know how to do it with wood! So, you can certainly overdo it and buy a piece of furniture or a boat made in these parts, but of course it will be fine to take home even just a model of Lucia (typical boat of Lake Como), plates, bowls, cutting boards or trays made of wood. , even better if olive.

An article in lace

A slightly unusual souvenir with a slightly retro taste, perhaps, but certainly linked to the traditions of these lands. If it meets your tastes, it may be another idea to consider. Also in this case the typical production area is Cantù (very famous, in fact, the Cantù lace), a town not far from Como, but there are also skilled women with bobbins on the Lario, capable of creating objects of extraordinary finesse!

Eat

Gelato – many of the small towns around the lake have excellent gellaterias. This dessert/snack is wonderfully flavourful and perfect for enjoying from a bench at the side of the lake.

• Locanda dell'Isola Comacina on Isola Comacina
• Creme Caramel in San Siro (parking may be problematic)
• La Baia in Cremia
• Trattoria Il Pontile, Musso
• Pizzeria Laguna Beach in Pianello del Lario

Drink

This is not a destination known for its singles scene.

Every town should have at least one bar or cafe available.

Bellagio probably offers the greatest number of bars and caffes. Bellagio also offers a wine-bar (enoteca). There are one or two open-air, lakefront bars if the weather is good.

Some of the regularly scheduled lake boats have small, staffed beer and wine bars. In addition the is one 'cocktail' boat built in a retro steam boat style. Also, the Orione was commissioned in 2005, with three full levels and is the largest boat in the fleet. The Orione operates the length of the lake and offers beer and wine. (They also offer full evening meals for people that board in Como in early evening.)

The nearby Sondrio valley is a well known wine-producing area. It is not that known as Tuscany, but some of the local wines are quite good.

Stay safe

• Beware of wild boars in the forests surrounding the lake.
• Expect motorcyclists to overtake in a seemingly suicidal manner.
• Make sure your car is in good condition, especially your tires, brakes, and handbrake, because of the steep and bendy nature of the roads.
• Locals love tailgating slow tourists. Allow them to overtake you, so you can follow them safely.
• Do not try to swim across the lake: it's larger than it seems, cold and very deep. If you want to try, there are special events where locals and tourists can try this challenge safely with support boats and rescue teams. Ask the tourist office.

Go next

In winter, you can visit the Madesimo skiing area in the north by car, on the road to the Splügen pass. It is a 60 to 90-minute drive from the Menaggio area. Make sure your car is prepared for winter weather conditions.

If you don't mind driving a little further, it is also possible to visit St. Moritz and its ski slopes in Switzerland. However, the Maloja pass is part of the route to St Moritz. Although it is kept open throughout the winter, adverse weather conditions may force it to be closed on some days. Smaller skiing resorts in the area are Chiesa and Valgerola.