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Lake Como, Italy

Both Lake Como and Lake Maggiore are close enough to Milan that the towns along the southern shore of each lake can be great day trips. The lakes are incredibly popular so you’re not exactly going to find peace and quiet in these towns, but it’s hard to beat them for sheer picturesque beauty in nice weather. In addition to the American tourists who have discovered the appeal of the lakes of Italy, the bulk of the tourist influx to this region in the summer comes from Germany and the United Kingdom, so no lake town is left deserted at that time. The summer months are easily the busiest on any of the lakes in Italy, so if you’re looking for a balance of nice weather and not as many tourists, try for either June or September.

Rail Travel Times:

Milan to Varenna: 1 hr

Milan to Lecco: 40 mins





Plan and Book:





Lake Como: See and Do

If visiting Lake Como from Milan and you are travelling by train, the village of Varenna is one of the best places to alight the train and begin your day exploring central Lake Como. Regional trains run from Varenna to Milan’s Stazione Centrale approximately every two hours, taking an hour. The railway station in Varenna is a short uphill walk from the ferry stops, following the signpost to the left as you leave the boat. The town is connected to the other lake resorts by passenger ferries, and there is also a car ferry crossing to Bellagio, on the central promontory and Menaggio on the far shore of Lake Como.



Varenna

Varenna is an attractive village on the eastern shore of Lake Como, looking over the central part of the lake towards Bellagio. Varenna’s picturesque lanes and old fishermen’s houses are unpretentiously appealing, and some visitors prefer the town to its grander neighbours. Although Varenna is a tourist destination, and its pretty waterfront and tiny stone beach fill up with holidaymakers, it has somehow a more authentic air than the other hotel-packed resorts. The main tourist activities in Varenna are relaxing by the lake, and visiting the gardens of two villas, Villa Monastero and Villa Cipressi.



From the ferry jetty in Varenna there is a footway leading around the shore to the right. This brings you to the village’s pretty waterfront, with its characteristic lake harbour, an arcaded walkway and a little stone beach sloping into the water. Although this short stretch of lakeside is a tourist magnet, it is also very charming and a good place to while away half an hour with a cold drink or ice cream sundae. If the day is not too hot and you are feeling energetic, there are two more distant sights which can be linked up in a walk from the centre of Varenna. Along the lake, past Villa Monastero, is a hamlet called Fiumelatte which is notable for a stream of the same name, meaning ‘Milk-river’, which gushes white and is said to be the ‘shortest river in Italy’ (although since another river, near Malcesine on Lake Garda, claims to be the shortest in the world there may be some argument). The stream dries up in winter months.



An inland route leads back to the castle which has watched over Varenna for centuries, the Castello di Vezio. This medieval fortress now hosts falconry displays and other events. It’s a quick but steep descent back down into Varenna.

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