Been to Lake Garda? Now try Lake Como (Lago di Como in Italian), one of the deepest lakes in Europe, is well-know all over the world, but not only because George Clooney has chosen to live there; on the contrary it’s a gorgeous destination where you can spend a couple of days, but even more that a simple weekend because it offers many things to do and places to visit.

Como

Of course, a visit of Como can’t be missed. First of all you must go to the Duomo bianco; then you can have a walk in the city centre or even along the lake. The Tempio Voltiano is also very nice to see and, cherry on top, have an ice cream in the nice little square over the lake.
Furthermore, why don’t you do a tour in the funicular railway? It will be very exciting to overlook the lake!
Of course, you must think about where to lodge, and you can choose between a nice B&B along the lake, or a hotel in the city centre. The second one can be the better choice, because you can enjoy the city of Como and at the same time, with a ferry, you can visit the near destinations.

Bellagio

Bellagio is a small village in the province of Como. This is one of the destinations that you can reach by ferry from Como, and you won’t have to stress finding a parking for your car!
Bellagio is a very romantic village, where the main characteristic are the stairs made of rocks, the narrow roads and the bars along the lake.
During summer you can visit Villa Serbelloni with its wonderful gardens, but always be careful to check the timetables of the visits as well as the ones of the ferries: a good idea can be to leave Como in the afternoon, and to come back at night, after a nice dinner in Bellagio.
You absolutely must spend a day there or at least a romantic walk!

Varenna

Not very well-known, but beautiful and romantic as well as Como and Bellagio, is the village of Varenna, situated on the other branch of Lake Como.
You can reach Varenna by boat, even if it takes more than two hours to arrive, or by car, in an hour. In this case you can visit the near city of Lecco.
In any case, if you decide to spend a day in Varenna, Villa Monastero is not to be missed. It’s an old monastery with beautiful inners and stunning gardens where you’ll experience a two-hour-walk!
You should visit even the Castello di Vezio, a castle that you can reach walking for 40 minutes, but if you’re a bit lazy, you can go even by car and enjoy an amazing show of birds of prey.

Lake Como is one of the most beautiful locations in Italy, visited by a lot of tourists all over the year, in summer as well as in winter. If you have in hand more than just a weekend, don’t miss the chance to visit all the destinations all around the lake!