It was time for a road trip once again. Back in Europe, and with spring clearly in the air, even if the mornings still had a bit of a chill, I made the most of those first days with some hiking and cycling. It was a great start into my Europe return before hading towards some warmer spots. The Italian and French Riviera were calling. And so, the journey began, with my first stop: the pretty towns of Lake Como.
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Lake Como
From Menaggio to Bellagio, there are a lot of pretty towns on Lake Como that one can visit. But where to start? And which ones are the top towns to see?
I have been to the town of Como before, even though it was briefly on my drive to Spain (read here). So I hadn’t visited many other towns on Lake Como until now. I knew it was a beautiful spot, but I had forgotten just how big the lake actually is. So if you’re thinking you can simply hop from town to town and see it all in a day, think again.
There are definitely plenty of pretty towns of Lake Como to explore, but the narrow roads, traffic, and winding distances can make even a 30 km trip take hours. Especially during high season
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The pretty towns of Lake Como
Menaggio
After driving through rainy Switzerland and Lucerne, via the 17 km long Gotthard Tunnel, I made my way across the Swiss-Italian part to Lugano and then Lake Como in Italy. One of the first pretty towns I came across at Lake Como was Menaggio, my pit stop for the day, after a long day in the car. Sitting in the sun and enjoying my first Italian taste of a relaxing afternoon, I knew my time at Lake Como would be special this time around.
Settling into a beautiful hotel in Cernobbio, with an amazing view overlooking the lake, I couldn’t wait to explore more of the pretty towns of Lake Como. And so, after a good night’s rest and the perfect Italian breakfast, I set out to visit the most famous spot at Lake Como, the Villa del Balbianello.
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Villa del Balbianello
Villa del Balbianello is an amazing spot that most might know from the James Bond movie, Casino Royale. Hard to believe I hadn’t been here before… or had I? Either way, there I was, walking through the perfectly manicured gardens of one of the most beautiful places on Lake Como. It turned out to be the perfect location for my morning walk before heading to Bellagio.
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Bellagio
Another very famous spot in Lake Como is Bellagio and I was eager to explore each place in my own time. Catching a ferry from Griante, just north of Tremezzo, was super easy. Bellagio is a small town, but it certainly has a lot of Italian charm. Walking up the narrow cobblestone stairs and browsing the many local shops (mostly catering to tourists, of course), I stumbled upon the most charming lunch spot to enjoy a delicious Italian meal and the spring sun.
Bellagio was perfect, and I would highly recommend visiting this cute little place. A must among all the pretty towns of Lake Como.
That said, it’s the end of March here, and I honestly couldn’t imagine being here in high season, with all the other tourists. I like it quiet.
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Tremezzo
After a great afternoon in Bellagio it was time to enjoy a refreshing drink at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo. What a beautiful spot to relax, enjoy the view and meet amazing people.
Whether it is Tremezzo, Menaggio, Argegno or Bellagio.. there are plenty of pretty towns of Lake Como to see. None will disappoint.
For me, it was time to leave Lake Como behind and head south, towards the sea. Via a stop in Milan of course.
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