By rail
Varenna-Esino or Como, ~1 h from Milan
Europe · Italy
Lake Como, Italy
Villas and villages on a mountain lake
Getting there
By air
Milan Malpensa (MXP), ~1 h
Best time to visit
April to October — the lake season
Don't miss
Bellagio
Villa del Balbianello
Varenna
Villa Carlotta
Things to do
Ferries between Bellagio
Varenna and Menaggio
Villa gardens
Lake swimming
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Mænsard vokser · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Layers, walking shoes
A quieter corner
The Greenway walking path between the villages
Questions travellers ask
When is the lake season on Lake Como?
April to October. Bring layers and walking shoes.
Which villages and villas should I visit on Lake Como?
Bellagio, Varenna, Villa del Balbianello and Villa Carlotta, with time for the villa gardens and a swim in the lake. Try lake fish (missoltini) and risotto with perch.
How do I get around Lake Como?
Ferries run between Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio, and the Greenway walking path links the villages on foot.
How do I get to Lake Como from Milan?
Trains reach Varenna-Esino or Como in about an hour from Milan. From Milan Malpensa (MXP), it's about an hour too.
About Lake Como
- Lakeside
- Mountains
Where it is
Lake Como is a long glacial lake in Lombardy, northern Italy, about 45 km north of Milan, lying at the foot of the Alps in the shape of an upside-down Y, with the towns of Como and Lecco at the ends of its two southern arms.
History
The Romans built villas on its shores, and Pliny the Younger, born in Como, described his own lakeside estates in the 1st century AD. Noble families added grand villas and gardens such as Villa d'Este, Villa Carlotta and Villa del Balbianello between the 16th and 18th centuries, and from the late 18th century Como became famous for its silk industry.
People
People around the lake speak Italian and Lombard dialects. Silk weaving made Como's fortune, fishermen still prepare missoltini, sun-dried and salted shad served with polenta, and the Lecco shore is the setting of Alessandro Manzoni's The Betrothed, one of the most famous novels in Italian.
Known for
- Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio
- Villa del Balbianello and Villa Carlotta
- Como silk
- Ferries between the lakeside villages
- Missoltini, sun-dried lake shad
Did you know?
Alessandro Volta, the physicist who invented the electric battery, was born in Como in 1745, and a lakeside museum in the form of a temple, the Tempio Voltiano, is dedicated to him.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.