Lake Como
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Lake Como - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Villa del Balbianello
The relentlessly picturesque Balbianello may be the most magical house in all of Italy; you probably know it from cameos in the movies Casino Royale and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. It sits on its own little promontory, Il Dosso d'Avedo, around the bend from the tiny fishing village of Ossuccio. The villa is composed of loggias, terraces, and palazzini (tiny palaces), all spilling down verdant slopes to the shore, where you'll find an old Franciscan church, a magnificent stone staircase, and a statue of San Carlo Borromeo blessing the waters. The villa is usually reached from Como and Bellagio by boat, which leaves you at the village of Lenno. From there, marked signs lead you to the villa—it's either accessible by foot via a 20-minute walk or a more challenging 45-minute hike.
View Tours and ActivitiesVia Guido Monzino 1, Lenno, Lombardy, 22019, Italy0344-56110Sight Details
Rate Includes: €23 villa and gardens, includes 1-hr guided tour; €12 gardens only, Closed Mon., Wed., and early Jan.–mid-Mar. -
2. Duomo
The splendid 15th-century Renaissance-Gothic Duomo was begun in 1396. The facade was added in 1455, and the transepts were completed in the mid-18th century. The dome was designed by Filippo Juvarra (1678–1736), chief architect of many of the sumptuous palaces of the royal house of Savoy. The facade has statues of two of Como's most famous sons, Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger, whose writings are among the most important documents from antiquity. Inside, the works of art include Luini's Holy Conversation, a fresco cycle by Morazzone, and the Marriage of the Virgin Mary by Ferrari.
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3. Museo della Seta
From silkworm litters to textile finishing machinery to temporary exhibitions, this small but complete collection preserves the history of a manufacturing region that continues to supply a large proportion of Europe's silk. The friendly staffers will give you an overview of the museum; they are also happy to provide brochures and information about local retail shops. The location isn't well marked: follow the textile school's driveway around to the low-rise concrete building on the left, and take the shallow ramp down to the entrance.
Via Castelnuovo 9, Como, Lombardy, 22100, Italy031-303180Sight Details
Rate Includes: €10, Closed Mon. -
4. San Fedele
At the heart of Como's medieval quarter, the city's first cathedral is well worth a peek. The apse walls and ceiling are completely frescoed, as are the ceilings above the altar.
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5. Sant'Abbondio
If you head into Como's industrial quarter, you will come upon this church, a gem of Romanesque architecture begun by Benedictine monks in 1013 and consecrated by Pope Urban II in 1095. Inside, the five aisles converge on a presbytery with a semicircular apse decorated with a cycle of 14th-century frescoes by Lombard artists heavily influenced by the Sienese school. To see them, turn right as you enter. In the nave, the cubical capitals are the earliest example of this style in Italy.
Via Regina Teodolinda 35, Como, Lombardy, 22100, Italy031-304518Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Villa Bernasconi
Art Nouveau details, such as intricately-carved floral balconies and tile work, are enough to make you get out of the car for a closer look at this villa on the main road from Como to Cernobbio. The turreted two-story former home of textile tycoon Davide Bernasconi was built on the grounds of his company's silk mills at the turn of the century and is now an interactive museum. Among the rooms with original wood-inlay ceilings, decorative stained glass, and marble mosaic floors, are audio installations that recount the history of Bernasconi's empire and the Lake Como area's silk industry. Temporary exhibits highlight contemporary Italian artists and fashion design.
Largo Campanini 2, Cernobbio, Lombardy, 22012, Italy031-3347209Sight Details
Rate Includes: €8, Closed Tues.–Thurs., Reservations recommended -
7. Villa Carlotta
If you're lucky enough to visit Tremezzo in late spring or early summer, you will find the magnificent Villa Carlotta a riot of color, with more than 14 acres of azaleas and dozens of varieties of rhododendrons in full bloom. The height of the blossoms is late April to early May. The villa was built between 1690 and 1743 for the luxury-loving marquis Giorgio Clerici. The garden's collection is remarkable, particularly considering the difficulties of transporting delicate plants before the age of aircraft. Palms, banana trees, cacti, eucalyptus, a sequoia, orchids, and camellias are among the more than 500 species. The villa's interior is worth a visit, particularly if you have a taste for the romantic sculptures of Antonio Canova (1757–1822). The best known is his Cupid and Psyche, which depicts the lovers locked in an odd but graceful embrace, with the young god above and behind, his wings extended, while Psyche awaits a kiss that will never come. The villa can be reached by boat from Bellagio and Como.
Via Regina 2, Tremezzo, Lombardy, 22019, Italy0344-40405Sight Details
Rate Includes: €15, Closed early Nov.–Mar. -
8. Villa Melzi
The famous gardens of the Villa Melzi were once a favorite picnic spot for Franz Liszt, who advised author Louis de Ronchaud in 1837, "When you write the story of two happy lovers, place them on the shores of Lake Como. I do not know of any land so conspicuously blessed by heaven." The gardens are open to the public, and though you can't get into the 19th-century villa, don't miss the lavish Empire-style family chapel. The Melzi were Napoléon's greatest allies in Italy (the family has passed down the name "Josephine" to the present day). Guided tours are available with advance booking.
Lungo Lario Manzoni, Bellagio, Lombardy, 22021, Italy031-950318-guided tour bookingsSight Details
Rate Includes: €8, Closed Nov.–late Mar. -
9. Villa Monastero
By ferry from Bellagio it's a quick trip across the lake to Varenna. The principal sight here is the spellbinding garden of the Villa Monastero, which, as its name suggests, was originally a monastery. There's also a house museum where you can admire 18th-century furnishings, as well as an international science and convention center.
Viale Giovanni Polvani 4, Varenna, Lombardy, 23829, Italy0341-295450Sight Details
Rate Includes: Garden €10, garden and house €13, Check the website for updated seasonal hours -
10. Villa Serbelloni Garden
This property of the Rockefeller Foundation has celebrated gardens on the site of Pliny the Elder's villa, overlooking Bellagio. There are only two 1½-hour-long guided visits per day, at 11 am and 3:30 pm, with a maximum of 30 people each, and in May they tend to be booked by whole groups. It's wise to arrive early to sign up at the starting point, at the Bellagio tourist office in the medieval tower in St. Giacomo Square. The garden also closes due to bad weather, so call in advance.
Piazza della Chiesa 14, Bellagio, Lombardy, 22021, Italy031-951555Sight Details
Rate Includes: €10, Closed Mon. and early Nov.–mid-Mar.
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