Como is Lake Como’s largest city where you will find shopping, works of art, churches, gardens, museums, theatres, parks and palaces. Places to go inlcude the Duomo, the Basilica of Sant’Abbondio, Villa Olmo, the Volta Temple and Museum, the Teatro Sociale, and the Broletto (the city’s medieval town hall). Don’t miss a ride up the town’s funicular to Brunate (great for children) which offers a spectacular view of the city below from the Volta Lighthouse. If shopping is what you’re after, Como’s streets are lined with shops and boutiques including brand names such as Butti and Max Mara. Looking for the ultimate Italian outlet shopping experience, the Foxtown Outlet in Mendrisio, Switzerland is only a short hop from Como.
Its central location makes Menaggio an excellent place to base yourself. The town is characterized by a quaint piazza by the lake with restaurants, cafe’s, shops, and a flowered lake side promenade. It’s perfect for an evening stroll. Enjoy one of the lake’s nicest child friendly outdoor public swimming pool and beach with spectacular views of the lake, play mini gold, or play a round of real golf at the prestigious Menaggio-Cadennabia Golf Course. Menaggio is a great place to rent a motor boat, scooter, or kayak. If you enjoy hiking, there are a number of spectacular hikes in the mountains above Menaggio and a rifugio with one of Lake Como’s most beautiful vistas. The town has a few churches worth visiting: San Stefano (17th century), San Giusto and San Carlo.
Griante is located in the ‘center’ of the lake, facing the Bellagio promontory, some 30 kilometers north of Como. It has been visited by many historical celebrities including Verdi, who wrote part of his famous La Traviata opera here. It continues to be a large tourist draw for the annual blossoming of Azaleas.Cadenabbia is a favorite spring and autumn resort, owing to the great beauty of the scenery, vegetation, and its sheltered location. It also serves as a popular health resort and a holiday place for travelers. The town was founded by the Celts about 500 years before Christ. In 383 AD the Bishop of Como entrusted the people of Griante with the relic of Saints Nabore and Felice that he had himself received from Saint Ambrogio. The city of Griante has been long known for tourism, since the first hotel of the town was built in 1800 and is still working!
Destination of natural beauty including the Val Senagra Oasis, waterfall and Rogolone, one of the oldest oak trees in Europe. Here you can also visit S. Maria del Tiglio, one of the most important Romanesque buildings of the province.
Tremezzo is centrally located on lake. Base yourself there and you will have quick access to the ferries and some of the most prestigious accommodation that Lake Como has to offer. Tremezzo, and its nearby town Cadenabbia, give you Lake Como’s most sought after and famous panorama. Tremezzo’s most notable attraction is Villa Carlotta, renown above all else for its spectacular gardens and surroundings. A short distance from Tremezzo is Griante, a small village dominated by some of the Lake Como’s largest and oppulent properties. San Martino, small church perched on the mountain side above Griante, is accessible by foot and offers, without a doubt, one of Lake Como’s most spectacular views.
Known as the Pearl of the lake due to its position on the tip of a peninsula, Bellagio is characterized by porticos, cobbled stepped streets, narrow alleyways, and shops selling local handicrafts, and the numerous bars and restaurants it is by far one of the most popular towns in Lake Como.It is a must see. In Bellagio, you can enjoy the gardens of Villa Melzi, have a guided tour of the Villa Serbelloni, stroll up the SalitaSerbelloni, visit the Basilica of San Giacomo or watch the world go by at a lake side cafe.
Conveniently serviced by Lake Como’s ferries, Varenna is quieter and more laid back than Bellagio, and there are typically fewer tourists. It is a small picturesque 15th century settlement on the eastern shore of Lake Como characterized by colourful buildings and small steep streets reminiscent of a Ligurian coast village.It is an ideal place to spend an afternoon strolling the lakeside, frequenting excellent restaurants, or enjoying its quaint and colorful atmosphere while taking in spectacular views of Lake Como and its surrounding mountains. There is wonderfully little to do in Varenna beyond enjoying la dolce vita, but if you must do something you can visit the Castle Vezio or the town’s church San Giorgio famous for its flooring made entirely of the black marble that Varenna was once famous for. The train that runs north to Tirano and south to Milan stops in Varenna making it an excellent railway gateway to Lake Como.