Via Giuseppe Garibaldi is populated by dozens of shops and boutiques. These alleys are also full of shops and restaurants…and stairs, too! So wear a pair of comfortable shoes and get ready to do a lot of ups and downs. In the town center, you can get to Piazza della Chiesa and admire the Basilica of San Giacomo, a Romanesque church built between the 11th and 12th centuries.
Take Via Eugenio Vitali and, after a short walk, you will get to Punta Spartivento. You will find yourself in the middle of the three branches of the lake, where locals’ boats are moored and where you have the chance to relax and take some amazing pictures.
Another great place to relax is Pescallo, an old fishing village located southeast of the promontory.
A stepped pathway, which starts from the town hall of Bellagio, will take you there in about 10 minutes. Pescallo is a very popular destination for sports, so don’t miss the chance to do some kayaking or water skiing!
Your trip in Como can start from Piazza Vittoria, home of the monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi. Here, along the medieval walls that enclose the Como town center, one of the most typical things to see is the the outdoor market. Visiting the Como Cathedral (Duomo di Como) is definitely one of the best things to do in Como, since the church is characterized by a set of styles ranging from Romanesque to gothic.
Visit Brunate, a town that overlooks Como from the top of a hill 715 meters (about 782 yards) high. The Como-Brunate cable car will take you to Brunate in a few minutes. Once there, you can walk for approximately 35 minutes and reach the Volta Lighthouse (Faro Voltiano), a beautiful lighthouse that alternately emits green, white, and red lights (the Italian flag colors).
Whether you are visiting Lake Como for a day or staying longer, jump aboard a boat, relax and reach your favourite destination: Bellagio, Varenna, Como, or maybe one of the historical villas on the shores of the lake. Boat tours are basically of two types: public or private. You can choose the experience you prefer based on your needs, especially the time and budget you have available.
If you don’t mind walking, you can follow the path along the Esino River and get to Castello di Vezio, an ancient medieval fortress overlooking Varenna. The castle houses a permanent exhibition dedicated to the Lariosaurus – an extinct sea reptile from the Middle Triassic period, which gave birth to a legend similar to that of the Loch Ness monster – as well as a center for the training of birds of prey.
The Walk of Lovers is a short pedestrian path cantilevered over water in Varenna. It commences about 50m from Varenna Villa. It affords romantic views of Lake Como, the mountains, and the small village with its colourful houses.
The small alleys are full of steps, so it is best to wear a comfortable pair of shoes. If you have difficulty or cannot take the stairs, don’t worry: you can safely move along the streets surrounding the town and visit its most characteristic corners. One of the most beautiful things to see in Varenna is Piazza San Giorgio, the town’s central square that houses the Church of San Giorgio. The church was built in the 14th century in a style somewhere between Romanesque and Gothic and houses numerous paintings from the late 15th and 16th centuries. As you look down, you can see the solid pavement, made entirely of traditional local black marble.
