Lake Como (Lago Di Como)

Vinita Bennett
Jun 1, 2015
2 min read

Updated: Aug 28

Lake Como is located in the foothills of the Italian Alps, about 50 km north of Milan and bordering Switzerland to the west. This is one of our favorite weekend getaway spots while living in Milan. We took a one-hour train ride from Central Station to Varenna-Esino Perledo. And just like that, we arrived in the beautiful, quaint village of Varenna. This is another of our weekend getaway spots while we live in Milan. We took a one-hour train ride from Central Station to Varenna-Esino Perledo. Voila! There we were in one of the beautiful, quaint villages, Varenna.

Lake Como is home to five villages: Como, Lecco, Bellagio, Varenna, and Menaggio. In my opinion, Varenna is the most picturesque of the towns. It has a quaint, peaceful atmosphere and feels more authentic than the others. There are many excellent restaurants and cafes with stunning views. We stayed at a cozy hotel in the heart of the plaza and had a room with a view of the lake. It was a delight to watch the comings and goings in the plaza each morning, including an Italian man enjoying a glass of white wine and a family delivering milk and cheese door-to-door. It felt like a scene from a movie, but it was all very real. In my opinion, the most picturesque of the towns is Varenna; it's quaint, peaceful, and somehow has a more authentic air than the other towns. It has many great restaurants and cafes with a view. We stayed at a nice, cozy hotel located in the heart of the plaza and got a room with a lake view. It was pleasant to watch people on the plaza in the morning - an Italian man with a glass of white wine in the morning, a family that delivered milk and cheese from house to house. It's like a movie but real.

Bellagio, a gem of the lake, is a charming town filled with cobbled streets and small shops. It offers a tranquil atmosphere that makes it a pleasure to explore on foot. Nestled at the point where two branches of Lake Como converge, Bellagio boasts breathtaking panoramic views of the lake. The beauty of this place is beyond words.