What To See
The two main towns are Lecco
and Como, both situated
at the end of the south 'legs' of the lake.
Como is full of history,
and in the past it had such a strategic importance to compete with Milan.
Walking through the Old town, through lovely 18th century
buildings, you find beautiful churches and medieval forts belonging to
the gothic and roman ages. It is the city with the biggest historical
- artistic heritage of the Lario, and the walk along the lake
is breathtaking, with monuments dedicated to it’s most popular historical
figure (Alessandro Volta), luxurious villas and the animated squares.
From Como you can set out to visit
the west shore. Just a few kilometres away, you find Cernobbio,
renewed for its exquisite and luxurious villas: Villa d’Este, Villa Erba,
Villa Bernasconi and many more. Moving north you find Laglio,
a charming and quiet village, which become famous thanks to its latest
celebrity resident, George Clooney. Following there is Argegno,
with its medieval centre, then Tremezzo
and Menaggio,
in a beautiful area, where the lake joins its two ‘legs’ together, to
arrive at Gravedona
and Domaso, with
nice city centers caressed by a light breeze.
Lecco is a modern and active
town, with many features: barbarian origins and Milanese influences,
Spanish and Austrian dominations and an industrial culture. Unlike Como,
Lecco does not offer big monuments of such historical
and architectonic importance, but its charm is all on the lakefront,
in the surrounding vast landscapes. In addition there is the Manzonian
culture, the ‘I Promessi Sposi’ and all the places that
inspired him to write this book…
The eastern coast that goes up to Colico
is very fascinating. The magnificent mountains of the Grigne
give more value to Lecco’s shore,
that pass the sportive village of Mandello
del Lario, and brings you to the charming village of Varenna.
Ideal heart of the lake, Varenna
has an antique fame, with its steep winding alleys. Only a few kilometres
away we find Bellano,
in a lovely landscape where the suggestive ‘Canyon dell’Orrido’ is visitable.
Colico, the last
town on the east coast of the Lake, short distance from the Pian
di Spagna and surrounded by the Alps, rises on magnificent hills
with many attractions.
Bellagio is
to be considered a story apart. It is situated on the tip of a promontory
in the middle of the Lario, in between the lake’s bifurcation and has
always been a holiday resort appreciated from the nobility and celebrities.
In Bellagio
we can find, apart from a beautiful old city centre, fascinating
villas surrounded by beautiful parks and enchanting landscapes.
» Lake Como Walking Tour