My wife told me Lake Como is one of the most beautiful places she had ever been. That’s really all you need to read…… ok done. 🙂
Seriously, my oldest son raved about how beautiful Lake Como and the surrounding area is and so we felt strongly that we needed to make the trek and see what all the fuss is about.
It is beautiful, relaxing and overall a place you want to visit. The lake and surrounding area is famous for the Italian Villas that line the lake, the gardens that come with the Villas and the beauty of Northern Italy.
So with that in mind we intentionally booked 5 nights in one hotel to feel the vibe and relax. As you’d expect we found great food, great local people, wonderful nature and rest.
Go to Como to take a break from life.
Lake Como is surprisingly easy to get to from Milan. We paid about $12 a ticket for the train from Milano Central to Varenna which is one of the three popular towns on the lake and then took the ferry for $5 across the lake to Mennagio.
I enjoyed Mennagio. Pace is a bit slower but has plenty to offer. It has a main shopping street but not much there….which is the point….a couple of quaint shops is all you need with a few restaurants and a coffee shop or two.
Make sure to stop through one of the local Villa’s for the tour of their gardens.
At heart I’m not a shopper but a hiker…and yes Como has hiking too. Best bet, book a taxi and pay the $50 or so to the local Trout Farm high up in the mountains. You can call ahead and reserve a table and they will filet a fresh fish for you to feast on and then hike down the mountain, along the stream, through the woods and fields and eventually you arrive in the posher local neighborhood to walk through on your way back down to the lake. This was absolutely my favorite part of the trip.
Here are a couple of pics showing you the route and the restaraunt.
Just a glimpse of the hike down the mountain. Pure joy.
If you are lucky enough to catch the moon on the lake it can be magical. The view from the room at 2 a.m. The local ferries dock in the village during the night.
Most of what can be said is best said in pictures. So plan your trip, make the journey, discover the beauty of the lake and relax.
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