Lake Como
Discover Lake Como
Lake Como (Lago di Como; also called: Lario) is in the provinces of Como and Lecco in Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is part of the Italian Lake District. It has been popular with visitors since the early 20th century for its combination of fresh air, water, mountains and good weather. The lake is shaped like an inverted 'Y', with two 'legs' starting at Como in the south-west and Lecco in the south-east, which join together half-way up, and the lake continues up to Lecco, Varenna and next Colico in the north. The first few kilometres of the legs at the southern end of the lake are relatively flat, but Lake Como becomes more mountainous as you head northwards into the Alps. Some of the nearby peaks go slightly above the tree-line so the views are really impressive. In the winter, there is skiing in the nearby valleys.
Taste of Lake Como...
Gelato – many of the small towns around the lake have excellent gellaterias. This dessert/snack is wonderfully flavourful and perfect for enjoying from a bench at the side of the lake. This is not a destination known for its singles scene. Every town should have at least one bar or cafe available. Bellagio probably offers the greatest number of bars and caffes. Bellagio also offers a wine-bar (enoteca). There are one or two open-air, lakefront bars if the weather is good. Some of the regularly scheduled lake boats have small, staffed beer and wine bars. In addition there is one 'cocktail' boat built in a retro steam boat style. Also, the Orione was commissioned in 2005, with three full levels and is the largest boat in the fleet. The Orione operates the length of the lake and offers beer and wine. (They also offer full evening meals for people that board in Como in early evening.) The nearby Sondrio valley is a well known wine-producing area. It is not that known as Tuscany, but some of the local wines are quite good. In winter, you can visit the Madesimo skiing area in the north by car, on the road to the Splügen pass. It is a 60 to 90-minute drive from the Menaggio area. Make sure your car is prepared for winter weather conditions. If you don't mind driving a little further, it is also possible to visit St. Moritz and its ski slopes in Switzerland. However, the Maloja pass is part of the route to St Moritz.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThe main access to the lake is from Milan and Bergamo. It is also possible to cross the border from Lugano (Switzerland), and arriving at the lake at Menaggio. In the north, the lake can be accessed through the Splügen pass (closed from end of autumn to the beginning of spring), or from St. Moritz, both entering from Switzerland. Regular trains run from Milan to Como (which has 2 stations: Como San Giovanni and Como Lago). Como San Giovanni Station is outside of the centre, but there are buses that stop there. You can buy tickets at the tobacconist in the station for a few euros, or walk to the centre of town. Overnight sleeper trains run from Amsterdam via Duesseldorf, Cologne, Frankfurt and Basel stopping at Como San Giovanni on their way to Milan. Similar daytime trains also run. Trains also run from Milan and Bergamo to Lecco, some of them also continue up to the Eastern Shore to Varenna and Colico and then to Sondrio and Tirano....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Frequent buses run up the Western Shore from Como to Menaggio. A few then continue on to Colico. Several boats and hydrofoils a day travel all the way up the lake from Como to Colico stopping at most of the towns en route. The distances are long, so you shouldn't expect to visit more than 2–3 villages in a day. For example, the regular ferry takes around 2 hours to go from Como to Bellaggio. There are fast services that travel faster, stop at fewer places and cost more. Less frequent boat/hydrofoils travel down the eastern leg between Bellagio and Lecco. There are additional frequent services between the 'triangle' of towns in the centre of the lake: Menaggio, Bellagio and Varenna. In season, there is a boat service for the mid-lake (Bellano, Lenno, Villa Carlotta and Tremezzo in addition to Menaggio, Varenna and Bellagio). It runs hourly 09:00–18:00. Timetables are available at tourist information offices, at the quayside or online from Gestione Navigazione Laghi.
Money & Budget
Como has been for many years the most important centre for silk production in the world, boasts a long tradition in this sector and holds the title of "world capital of silk". It is said that it all began thanks to Mr. Pietro Boldoni of Bellano and we are talking about 1510. He was the first to open a silk industry in Como. And to further testify to the importance of the sector for the Lake Como area, there are the Silk Museum (in Como) and the Civic Museum Setificio Monti (in Abbadia Lariana). Two must-see places if you are interested in getting to know this fascinating world up close.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
In winter, you can visit the Madesimo skiing area in the north by car, on the road to the Splügen pass. It is a 60 to 90-minute drive from the Menaggio area. Make sure your car is prepared for winter weather conditions. If you don't mind driving a little further, it is also possible to visit St. Moritz and its ski slopes in Switzerland. However, the Maloja pass is part of the route to St Moritz. Although it is kept open throughout the winter, adverse weather conditions may force it to be closed on some days. Smaller skiing resorts in the area are Chiesa and Valgerola.