Como - Lenno - Menaggio - Varenna - Bellagio
"When you write a story of two happy lovers, let the story be set on the banks of Lake Como" - Franz Liszt
Lake Como is a picturesque lake surrounded by dreamy mountains and colorful villas with vibrant flowers. There is many small villages worth exploring, but some more beautiful than others. The lake begins in Como and you can either take a ferry up the lake and get off at different ports along the way or the lake divides and you can choose to drive up the left (western side) or right side (eastern side). The villages worth exploring are between 45 mins and 1 hour and 20 mins depending on where you choose to get off and if you take the fastest ferry. If you decide to drive, it will take about 1 hour. There is only 1 road, so depending on traffic and how fast the person in front of you is driving, those factors determine your travel time.
If you are driving, you will find many beautiful places along the lake where you can pull over and park to take in the scene or maybe grab a cup of cappuccino or cone full of gelato. I would suggest driving up the left side of the lake, there is much more to see and do!
Como is like a small city. It is filled with people walking the streets, small restaurants and many stores for shopping. You can find some delicious pastry shops with fresh made bread or treats that smell of sweetness as soon as you enter the bakery.
If you decide to drive, your view will look like the 3 photos above and there is a hotel worth stopping at on the western side of the lake. It is about 10-15 mins drive north of Como in Cernobbio. It is called Villa d' Este. The hotel is situated on the lake and has a lavish private 25 acre garden. The moment you pass through the guards (just say you are going to have lunch at the restaurant) and enter the property, you will feel as though you have traveled back in time. It was originally built in 1568 as a summer home for a royal family and passed down for generations. In 1873 Milan businessmen bought the property and turned it into a luxury hotel. The hotel lobby, restaurant and rooms have kept the renascence décor alive. If you feel under dressed to dine in their elegant restaurant called, Veranda, you can sit outside on the patio and have a more causal dining experience with a breathtaking view of the lake.
As you venture onto the next stop in Lake Como, you will find Villa del Balbianello in Lenno, which has been featured in famous films, Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and Casino Royale . If you are traveling by ferry, there is a stop for Lenno and you walk on a sidewalk until you either enter the villa by foot or there is a small water taxi if your legs don't feel up to the incline of the path. If you are arriving by car, you will find an entrance.
Once you enter the incredible villa and garden you will reach a ticket booth where you can purchase tickets to either tour the property on your own or have a guided tour. I recommend the guided tour because you will find the history of the villa and its owner fascinating.
Guido Monzino, former owner of the villa and leader of the first Italian expedition to Mount Everest, came from a very wealthy family and spent his time traveling the world to explore and fund expeditions. The villa is filled with rich artifacts, art sculptures and collections from his exploration. There is even one of the eight sleds he used to reach the North Pole.
After Lenno, either 15 minutes by car or ferry you will arrive in Menaggio. It is a small village that doesn't have much to see other than a few restaurants and shops, but in my opinion, it has the most tranquil walking path in all of Lake Como. I walked that path every morning that I stayed in Menaggio and I loved every moment of it. It is filled with magnificent trees, flowers and the view of the lake and mountains.
If you decide you want to stay in Lake Como, I would recommend the hotel I stay at in Menaggio, called Grand Hotel Victoria. It is modern and has exceptional service. The restaurant serves beautifully presented dishes and one of the best spaghetti pomodoro I have ever tasted! It was so delicious, I ordered a second portion and finished them both without hesitation! The waiter was kind enough to surprise us with a dessert called, millefeuille. It was a hard pasty filled with a sweet cream and one of the best Italian desserts I have devoured. At night they have live music playing either from a singer or a pianist to set the ambiance. The hotel has a peaceful energy since it is away from the tourist scene and situated along the lake with the tranquil walking path in front and many cozy lounge chairs to relax after a long day of exploring with the finest detail of trees covering the chairs that have timed, scented, mist spraying throughout the area! THAT'S RIGHT.....scented! They do have a pool behind the hotel if you prefer to cool down with a swim. The hotel is also in the perfect location to easily access the 2 most popular villages in Lake Como. Varenna and Bellagio are both a 15 min ferry ride and they are mapped out in a triangle so you can go from one to the next without a challenge.
There is a Villa museum and botanical garden in Tremezzina called, Villa Carlotta, a mid-nineteenth centery villa that was given to Princess Charlotte as a wedding present. It is a 10 minute drive south from Menaggio. It is beautiful, but if you don't have much time, I would not advise touring it. The Villa Monastero in Varenna is far more worthwhile.
Below are photos of Villa Carlotta which you will be able to compare with the photos you will find later in this blog of Villa Monastero.
Bellagio is a very lively tourist village and probably the most well-known. It has many restaurants and shops. I went there in the afternoon and saw a magnificent sunset. It is a great village to wonder the streets and get lost. There are many stairs that take you to different parts of Bellagio, but it is small so you will eventually find your way back to the port. The ferry does not run throughout the night so be aware of the time and make sure you don't miss it, otherwise you will be on an adventure trying to find a taxi driver to take you back down or around the lake, depending on where you need to go.
As the saying goes, "save the best for last." My favorite village in Lake Como is definitely Varenna! It is charming, quaint, beautiful and scenic. It also is home of the tranquil property, Villa Monastero a museum and garden once owned by an ancient Cistercian women’s monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary, built at the end of the 12th century.
As you arrive by ferry you will notice it is swarming with tourists and finding an empty table to eat can be a challenge. The trick is, do not fall for sitting at the first few restaurants you encounter on the one narrow path along the lake. Take your time and enjoy the scenic view surrounding you and as you reach a more open space of Varenna, you will find many hidden gems of restaurants. As I was walking, I found a small beach (that is not really a beach in my opinion. It is filled with rocks as sand and I could not imagine a more uncomfortable way to sit on the beach) that had a sign pointing above that said, "restaurant" and I thought, it must have a beautiful view if it is above the beach and overlooking the lake. I was correct! It was outside of a hotel called, Hotel Royal Victoria and I thought to myself.....hmmm.....that name sounds familiar. How random and coincidental it is the sister property of the hotel in Menaggio that I was staying in. The gnocchi pomodoro was delicious and paired with the view and a bellini.....I could not ask for more!
Villa Monastero
As you walk back to the port, you will find more little paths that lead you to restaurants, gelato cafes, shops and a charming abandoned house. Varenna is worth the day trip or a few days if you happen to find a hotel that meets your requirements. I personally choose the hotel in Menaggio because it was the most modern of the hotels I researched in Lake Como and a perfect location to explore all the areas, while still having peace and quiet at the end of the day since it's not a tourist location.
Comments