Lake Como, Lombardy – La Bella Italia

Two great things happened in July this year. We got married. And we visited some incredible places in Italy, including Lake Como. We didn’t spot George Clooney or any other celebrities (that we recognized). However, the lake was beautiful enough to deserve a post of its own. So, here we go: a story about our day at Lake Como in northern Italy.

One Day at Lake Como: What We Did

Bergamo was the base of our trip. Incredibly enough, we didn’t even consider a visit to Lake Como until a friend suggested it to us. Early in the morning we caught the train from Bergamo to Lecco.

The lake is one of the deepest ones in Europe and the unspoilt nature that surrounds it is truly amazing.

Lecco

Lecco is a medium-sized town located 50 kilometers north of Milan. It lies at the end of the south-eastern branch of the lake and the Bergamo Alps rise to the north and east. Half a day is enough for discovering the town. We strolled around its center and had a tasty lunch at the square. I (Susann) just had to go for my favorite food ever (spaghetti aglio e olio). And it was so good. The town was quite touristic, we spent most of the lunch eavesdropping at the Finnish Swedes sitting at the next table.

After lunch we explored the main sights. These include the war memorial, the Basilica di San Nicoló, the belltower, and the bustling squares called Piazza XX Settembre and Piazza Zermenati. The promenade along the waterfront is a must. It’s so beautiful with the view over the lake and the mountains.

Oh, and remember to have some ice-cream. It is Italy after all!

After a few hours in Lecco, we didn’t quite feel like heading back to Bergamo. So, we followed the other tourists and ended up at the boat terminal.

Bellagio

As it turned out, the best way to appreciate Lake Como is by boat. Just don’t forget your hat! We jumped on a boat that took us to Bellagio – with quite a few stops on the way. Buying the tickets was easy. The return ticket cost around 20 € per person. The boat ride was spectacular and there were so many charming places that we would have liked to visit. It took more than an hour but the time passed with us in awe. However, we decided to remain on the boat all the way to our final destination (mostly because we had so little time). Bellagio welcomed us with its colorful buildings, lush nature and gleaming blue waterfront.

Bellagio is situated upon the cape of the land mass that divides Lake Como in two and it is known as the pearl of the lake. It is famous for its churches and villas. We didn’t visit any of these, instead we enjoyed walking in the old town. Imagine hills, picturesque cobbled stairways and small alleys. There were a lot of places for enjoying a good cup of coffee or a colourful gelato.

We didn’t spend much time in Bellagio, maybe a bit more than an hour. That amount of time felt sufficient even though it felt like we had stepped into another world.

Once done in Bellagio, we returned to Lecco and from there we took the train back to Bergamo.

One Day at Lake Como: How We Got There

There are probably several ways to get to Lake Como. From Bergamo we caught a direct train. The ride takes approximately 40 minutes and it is costs under 5 € per person. The trains are frequent and the tickets can easily be bought at the train station right before departure.

Afterwards we thought that we might have liked to go all the way to Varenna instead. However, there is no direct train between Bergamo and Varenna, one has to change in Lecco. Between the train and the boat, the latter is much more pleasant.

Do You Want to Read More About Lake Como And How to Get There?

The following sites provide a lot of useful information.

• Bellagio >>
• Lecco >>
• About the ferries/boats >>