Lake Como has the most varied landscape among the Italian lakes and is well known for its mild climate and luxuriant vegetation. The geographical location creates the perfect conditions that allow the growth of tropical plants as well as typical Mediterranean trees like olives.
The high mountains reflect onto the blue waters of the lake and numerous small villages are scattered up the rocky slopes overlooking the lake. The area has been a famous holiday destination for centuries and in particular popular among painters, poets and philosophers. The beauty of the natural environment attracts visitors from all over Italy and overseas.
Many prestigious residences with lush gardens, beautiful monuments and hidden treasures open their doors to visitors who can stroll in their century-old parks and enjoy wonderful views. There are also wonderful churches, as well as old and modern buildings scattered all over the lake shores and hills.
A popular form of transportation around the lake is the ferry. You will find this a convenient way to do some sightseeing in the major towns such as Bellagio (known as 'La Perla del Lago', the Pearl of the Lake), Menaggio and Varenna. These three small towns are situated at the intersection of the three branches of the lake with a boat service operating between them. There are also bus services and funiculars if you prefer the hillside.
Lake Como offers many opportunities to sports lovers: golfing, hiking, rock climbing, biking, paragliding, water sports and swimming, and even skiing in the mountains nearby. A complete holiday for all the family.
Walks in the mountains above the lake offer the chance of crossing the border of Switzerland. Isola Comencina is the lake's only island. It is a small wooded island close to the western shore of the Como part of the lake.
Isola Comencina
Como is an important tourist resort as well as a rich manufacturing centre (mainly textiles). The city preserves many monuments such as the Gothic-Renaissance Cathedral with numerous sculptures and paintings.
Lecco is famous as the centrepiece of 'I Promessi Sposi' (The Betrothed) written by Alessandro Manzoni. This is mainly a modern town characterized by the buildings of Mario Cereghini, but there are also many historical monuments like the Visconti Bridge and Tower.
The region offers distinctive cuisines, each with its own ingredients and traditions: the lake cuisine based on fish and the valley cuisine based mainly on polenta and meat dishes.
Villa Balbianello
Villa Balbianello is a beautiful isolated villa in Lenno and sits on a promontory overlooking Lake Como. Wanted by Cardinale Angelo Maria Durini, he used it for his studying and shared it with his friends.
The villa is surrounded by pretty gardens and terraces.
Built towards the end of 18th Century, it was bought by the Italian explorer Guido Monzino in 1974. Guido Monzino refurbished the whole villa inside and out and use it to house his lovely collections of treasures brought back from his trips around the world: Chinese pottery, Ming e Qing porcellaine, African art, beautiful French furniture, paintings and much more. After his death in October 1988, the villa was donated to the FAI, Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano (the Italian National Trust).
Villa Balbianello has also been used as the set for famous movies, such as the latest James Bond and Star Wars. The villa is open to the public between March and November, and it can be reached by boat or on foot from Lenno.
Villa Balbianello Garden
How to get to Lake Como
The nearest airports to Lake Como are Milan Linate (LIN) and Milan Malpensa (MPX). If you drive, the lake may be reached via the highway which connects Milan to Como (A8 and A9).
From Malpensa, there is a frequent train service to Como Lago which takes approximately 90-120 minutes depending on the train you board.
From Milan there are regular trains to Como Lago both with the Ferrovie dello Stato (State Railway) and the Ferrorie Nord (Northern Railway). The journey takes one hour.
Important
Please remember that if you are using the train service, you must validate your ticket before boarding the train by using the yellow machines on the platform or in the railway station.