Bellagio Holidays, Italy Known as ‘the pearl of the lake’, Bellagio sits on the spike of land dividing Lake Como into its two ‘legs’ and is best reached by boat. Russet-roofed houses in pastel colours spill through a maze of cobbled streets bright with geraniums. The gardens of two famous villas can be visited. Villa Serbelloni, now owned by the Rockefeller Foundation, stands on the site of a house owned by Pliny the Elder. Villa Melzi sits on the lakeshore.
Cadenabbia Holidays, Italy Cadenabbia may lack the cachet of some more fashionable neighbouring resorts, but its agreeably sedate hotels enjoy views no less appealing from their vantage points above the Tremezzina waterfront. Here the lake is at its widest point with regular ferry services to Bellagio and Varenna. Long favoured by the British, its Anglican church dates from 1891. The lakeshore lido has a pleasant terrace café.
Cernobbio Holidays, Italy Overlooked by Monte Bisbino, this steamer point on Como’s southerly shores has an attractive old quarter, but is principally famed for the ultra-grand Villa d’Este, a celebrity haunt with a chequered and colourful history. Built in the early 17th century, it is now a luxury hotel full of marble staircases and priceless antiques. The elaborate gardens sweep down to a raised swimming pool above the lake, amid folly temples, forts and pavilions.
Como Holidays, Italy This lakeshore town near the Swiss border has elegant parks and medieval buildings. It also has a busy industrial quarter based on silk manufacture, and is a fine place for shopping. A museum traces the history of Como’s textiles, which still supply the great fashion houses of Europe. Main sights are a handsome Gothic - Renaissance cathedral, and the Romanesque church of Sant’Abbondio, decorated with 14th-century frescoes.
Erba Holidays, Italy Created in 1928 by the fusion of several medieval villages, Erba is situated halfway along the scenic mountain road from Bellagio to Como. The civic museum contains local archaeological finds. The 14th-century Castello di Casiglio is now a leading hotel and convention centre.
Lecco Holidays, Italy A dramatic, fjordlike setting below steep mountain cliffs adds much to this commercial town on the eastern ‘leg’ of Lake Como, often known as the Lago di Lecco. It’s a fine excursion base served by cable-car. The town is reached by a fortified medieval bridge over the River Adda, the lake’s sole outflow. Villa Manzoni (now a museum) was the birthplace of 19th-century Italian novelist Alessandro Manzoni.
Tremezzo Holidays, Italy Glamorous villas and hotels abound near Tremezzo, but all pale into insignificance beside the splendid Villa Carlotta. Built between 1690 and 1743 for a wealthy Milanese banker, it was named after its last private owner, a Prussian princess. The extravagant interior is noted for its art, including Canova’s sculpture of Cupid & Psyche. The gardens are best in late spring when the azaleas and rhododendrons are in bloom.
