Why Lake Como Is the Ultimate Northern Italy Getaway

The Duomo of Como (Como Cathedral) is a spectacular Gothic cathedral dating back to 1396 and one of the last built in Lombardy. The beautiful cathedral was designed by Lorenzo Degli Spazzi of Laini d'Intelvi and modified by Pietro di Breggio (Como) and features awe-inspiring late-Gothic Renaissance elements such as sculptures by Tommaso Rodari of Moriggia, and fresco by De Passeris that was salvaged from the Saint Maria Maggiore basilica in Rome. The Duomo can be admired while enjoying a coffee or a cocktail at one of the cafés on the eastern side of the piazza, and admissions to the cathedral are free-of-charge.

Piazza del Duomo, Como, Lombardia, 22100, Italy, Phone: +39-03-13-31-22-75

Villa del Balbianello is an enchanting estate on the western shore of the lake with beautifully manicured gardens and picturesque views of the lake. Located on the tip of the Laredo headland, the villa complex boasts consists of two residential buildings adorned with English and French furnishings dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries and a rich collection of ethnic sculptures and artifacts. Other buildings in the complex include a church and a gorgeous portico that overlooks a little dock and boasts unrivaled views of Isola Comacina and the western shore of Lake Como. Today, the villa is used for private events, weddings, and film sets.

Lenno, Lombardia, 22016, Italy, Phone: +39-0-34-45-61-10

Taxi Boat Varenna offers guided tailor-made tours of Lake Como’s picturesque towns, villas, and beautiful scenery on elegant boats. The service provides a range of tours from Varenna, including trips past the magnificent villas on the lakeshore to George Clooney’s villa in Laglio, as well as customized journeys for special occasions like weddings, anniversaries, proposals, and birthdays. Taxi Boat Varenna also provides traditional taxi services for brides and grooms to their venue and their guests to restaurants, and pretty lakeside towns.

Contrada del Porto, 1, 23829 Varenna LC, Italy, Phone: +39-34-92-29-09-53

Jungle Raider Park is an adventure and amusement park with two locations, one in Civenna and one in Margno, which provides a wealth of outdoor fun for the whole family. Surrounded by forests of tall trees, the park features seven different paths based on varying levels of difficulty, ranging from logs and wooden walkways to Nepalese bridges. There are also forest zip lines, bungee jumping ropes, a hanging skill path between the trees, cave tours, an archery range, and a pellet-gun tag. Jungle Raider Park also hosts special celebrations, team-building events, school trips, and summer camps.

Bellagio CO IT, Via Piano Rancio, 22030 Civenna CO, Italy, Phone: +39-0-31-96-36-51

Recommended Activities for Families

Located outside the walls of Como at the foot of Mount Croce, the Basilica of Sant'Abbondio is one of the oldest churches in the area. Nestled along a stretch of Via Regina that was an important area of worship, the basilica dates back to the 5th century AD and features beautiful elements such as two notable bell towers rising at the end of the external aisles, a highly ornamented apse decorated with beautiful frescoes dating back to the mid-14th century, Romanesque bas-reliefs, and Abundius' relics beneath a high altar.

35 Via Regina Teodolinda, Como, Lombardia, 22100, Italy, Phone: +39-33-82-58-33-28

The Museum Moto Guzzi is located in Mandello del Lario, which is the original birthplace of the Moto Guzzi Eagle. Established in 1921, the museum exhibits the culture and history of the Moto Guzzi with an impressive collection of over 150 exhibition objects, including sportbikes, pieces of production motorcycles, prototypes and experimental engines. Visitors journey through the various periods of Italian motorcycle history with fascinating displays and over 80 motorcycle racing bikes, including the 1924 Guzzi 4V, the Guzzi 350 1955 World Champion, the 1946 twin 500 of Omobono Tenni, and the record-breaking V7 series.

63/67 Via Emanuele Vittorio Parodi, Mandello del Lario, Lombardia, 23826, Italy, Phone: +39-03-41-70-92-37

The Botanic Gardens at Hotel Villa Cipressi are beautiful century-old gardens and grounds that are open to the public and feature exquisitely manicured trees, shrubs, and flowering plants. Based at the Villa Cipressi, which was built in the 1400s, the arboretum boasts an enchanting blend of contemporary architecture and ancient gardens, showcasing the biodiversity of each area of the country. The gardens are spread over four terraces overlooking the lake, creating a stunning setting for romantic moments.

18 Via 4 Novembre, Varenna, Lombardia, 23829, Italy, Phone: +39-03-41-83-01-13

Unique Attractions

Forte di Fuentes is a former military fort atop Monteggiolo near Colico in northern Italy. Built by the Spanish governor of Milan in 1603 to defend the northern border of the Spanish domain against the Grisons, the fortress is historically significant as it is one of the few remains of Spanish dominion in the area. The 17th-century fortress was an important crossroads for the passage of the most powerful armies of Europe headed to Italy or northern Europe before being destroyed by Napoleon in 1796 in his Campaign in Italy. Today the fortress features several gun emplacements that were constructed on the site during the First World War.

24 Via Papa Giovanni XXIII, Colico Piano, Lombardia, 23823, Italy, Phone: +39-03-41-94-03-22

Located in the enchanting town of Bellagio, Enoteca Principessa is a little wine shop tucked away in on a cobblestone street that sells a variety of Lombardy wines, as well as other vintages from around Italy. Visitors can sample the wines via a modern system (enomatic), purchase or send wines to foreign countries from the shop, which also sells dessert wines, Champagne, organic olive oils, grappa, Tartufo, and other local products.

16 Salita Serbelloni, Bellagio, Lombardia, 22021, Italy, Phone: +39-0-31-95-08-60

Sentiero del Viandante is an ancient 28-mile hiking trail along the eastern shores of Lake Como that is divided into four sections and boasts spectacular natural scenery and several artistic attractions. The pathway winds its way northwards from Lecco upwards to Abbadia Lariana, passing charming little villages and gorgeous scenery along the way. Stage one of the trail runs from Abbadia Lariana to Lierna passing through the district of Maggiana and boasting breathtaking views of Olcio and Lake Como, and stage two runs from Lierna through the evocative hamlet of Castello di Lierna to the Vezio Castle and Varenna. Stage three winds its way from the hamlet of Varenna in Vezio to Valle Masna, crossing the Woods of the Witches and into the Sanctuary of Lezzeno, before reaching Oro and Dervio. The final stage of the hiking trail runs from Dervio past the evocative hamlet of Corenno Plinio, San Rocco, and along the slopes of Mount Legnone to the Sanctuary of Madonna of Valpozzo.

Lombardia, 22021, Italy