Houses climbing tightly upwards, bell towers, gardens cascading down to the shore: this is how Bellagio appears when you approach it slowly, arriving from the lake. Then you disembark, take a staircase, pause in front of a boutique without having planned to, and wander through its cobbled streets. You discover, one glimpse at a time, why it is called the pearl of Lake Como.
On the Lecco branch of the Lario, Varenna opens onto the water with its colourful houses, whose tones shift with the light: apricot, terracotta, antique pink, warm reflections that, at sunset, seem to light up along the shore. There is an authentic atmosphere in Varenna, a compact and deeply romantic village, whose Lovers’ Walk will lead you along, carrying you into an intimate, almost suspended place.
Menaggio is best discovered on foot, at the right pace. Early in the morning along the lakeside promenade, when the water is still and the shops are still closed. The Thursday market in Piazza Garibaldi. The uphill streets leading to the old castle, from where the lake appears all at once and Bellagio stands opposite, the mountains all around, the ferry cutting through the water in silence.
El cör de Como beats in Piazza Duomo, where the white and pink marble of the Gothic cathedral rises above the café tables in the historic centre. You stroll along the lakeside promenade beneath the plane trees, take the funicular up to Brunate, and suddenly the lake lies beneath your gaze, with its villas, promontories, and the Swiss mountains in the background.
On Lake Como, villas do not overlook the shore — they inhabit it. If Villa del Balbianello leans out over its promontory as though about to dive into the water, Villa Carlotta conceals botanical gardens that, in spring, burst into azaleas, rhododendrons and exotic plants in a setting of rare beauty. And then there is Villa Melzi, with its neoclassical gardens set directly on the water, displaying the splendour of its irises, and Villa Balbiano, a location for *House of Gucci* and *The Devil Wears Prada*, which appears like a theatrical backdrop facing the lake — sumptuous, secluded and scenographic. Each tells a different story, of families, of power, of beauty preserved through centuries.
Continuing beyond Lake Como, the border changes and so does the rhythm. Lugano welcomes you with the ordered elegance of Italian-speaking Switzerland and a luminous soul: its lakeside promenade, Monte San Salvatore, parks, international boutiques and museums make it an ideal destination for a different kind of day, between shopping, culture and panoramic views. Those wishing to venture further into the mountains can continue on to St. Moritz, the quintessential alpine destination, crossing the spectacular landscapes of the Maloja Pass.
Following the eastern branch of the Lario, the landscape becomes sharper: the mountains draw closer, the lake gathers itself, the atmosphere grows more intense. Lecco lives between water and rock, with the outline of the Resegone in the background and the traces of The Betrothed still present among its streets, squares and Manzonian vistas. An authentic destination, less worldly, perfect for those seeking culture, nature and a different face of Lake Como.
Leaving behind the quiet of the Lario, Milan arrives like a change of scene: faster, more vertical, more international. The Duomo, the arcades, the museums, the boutiques and the design districts tell the story of a city that never stops, yet still knows how to surprise in the details. A perfect day trip for those who wish to alternate the slow light of the lake with the rhythm of Italy’s capital of fashion and style.
