Lake Como

Lake Como, cradled by steep wooded mountains in an inverted Y, is the most beautiful and glamorous of the Italian lakes, a retreat for the wealthy since Roman times. Grand villas and their terraced gardens line the shores, elegant towns like Bellagio sit at the water's edge, and ferries glide between them beneath the Alps, in a setting of timeless romance.

Background

Also called Lario, the lake owes its three branches to the ancient Adda glacier, which the mountains turned aside as it carved. It covers 146 square kilometres, behind only Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore among Italian lakes, and is 46 kilometres long with 160 kilometres of shoreline. The surface lies at 198 metres, the maximum depth reaches 425 metres, and the bottom sits over 200 metres below sea level. The water volume is approximately 22.5 km3, with an estimated residence time of 5.5 years. The Sacro Monte di Ossuccio is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in the 19th and 20th centuries silk production brought prosperity to the region.

Source: Wikipedia, "Lake Como"

The landscape

• Bellagio - the elegant town at the fork of the lake, the pearl of Como.
• The grand villas - Villa del Balbianello and Villa Carlotta and their gardens.
• The ferries - the boats that glide between the lakeside towns.
• The mountain setting - the steep wooded peaks around the water.

When to go

Spring to autumn for the gardens, ferries and warm weather; spring brings the villa gardens into bloom. Summer is busy and dear, the shoulder seasons calmer.

Before you go

It is glamorous and expensive, so lakeside towns and villas are pricey and busy in season. Getting around is by ferry, which takes time, so plan. Its beauty is the setting and the villas rather than a single big sight.

Nearby

Milan is an hour south; Lake Lugano and the Swiss border are nearby.

Key facts