WEEKEND OR HOLIDAY – THE LAKE OF COMO

 Como is a nice town that can offer a lot to a traveller and to a tourist: landscapes and art

Como, il Tempio Voltiano ai Giardini Pubblici.

Como e la cupola del Duomo.

Lago di Como, Lenno, di fronte all’Isola Comacina.For more photo and history: https://www.donnecultura.eu/?p=13370

Como for tourist:

-a beautiful lake, the mountains all around, a lot of old churches, villas and museums.

Como has 80.000 inhabitants and is located in between the lake, Brunate Mount and the Baradello Castle.

-What to visit in the town:
-the Cathedral, the Basilica of St.Fedele, the Giovio Museum and a little trip on the lake around the Public Gardens to see the Monument of Alessandro Volta and  Villa Olmo.
-The best is  to  take a public or private boat from Piazza Cavour and visit the lake.  If you want to see the villas by the lake, it is better to take a low boat.

-A good idea (during summer), should be to stop on Comacina Island and visit it, or Bellagio or Varenna (from Bellagio), but first ask informations were you take tickets for the boat.

-The Tourist Informations Office is in Piazza Cavour,  on Sunday is closed.

-A very good place for swim (in summer)and drink or eat is “Lido di Cadenabbia”, here you are exactly in front of Bellagio, the food is good and there is also music during the aperitiv-time; good food.
-You will eat looking at the lake in a wonderful landscape.

-Don’t forget to look to the time table of boats or take a bus, you will need more than one hour to go there and the same for return to Como.

Other information on: 

https://www.donnecultura.eu/?p=1612

https://www.donnecultura.eu/?p=4395

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Como is also near Switzerland and in less then one hour is possible to go to Lugano and Locarno and visit the lakes; also by train.

-In two hours (by car) is possible to arrive at more than 2000 meters under the sea on the Swiss and Italian Alps.

-If you go to Switzerland, remember the motorway cost about € 40, we recommend to visit Lugano, and Locarno lakes and Alp Mountains, for example the Passo of Lucomagno, or take the Ritom funicular from Ambri-Piotta near the Gottard Pass, or St. Moritz driving from the lake of Como, by Chiavenna.

Short history of Como. Pliny the Elder, in his “Historiae Naturalis”, put the Orobi, eventually mixed with Insubre Gauls, as the original inhabitants.

On 196 b.C. Claudius Marcellus with his Roman legions conquered the area.

-With Giulio Cesare the centre, which initially extended on the hills, was rebuilt where it still stands today.

After Como became a part of the XI Regio Transalpina and at the time of the Empire it became Municipium.

This is the period of the construction of Via Regina, the street long the lake till today; the name is connected with Queen Teodolinda.

The Franks invaded Como on 774 and the city surrendered passively to Charlemagne. Under him Como became an active centre for markets and important fairs.

On 1127 at the end of the war between Como and Milan with the defeat of Como.

The Milaneses, supported by  Comacina Island inhabitants, fleet and forced people to demolish the walls surrounding the town of Como.

-Barbarossa, coming from the north, helped Como to recover and to take its revenge.

-Milan was taken and destroyed on 1162. Como rebuild the walls and many castles were built around the town, one of them is Baradello Castle.

Giovio Museum.

-Visiting the Giovio Museum, in the center of the town, is a way to know all his history.

Where to eat

Not everywhere you can have a good meal in Como.

The most simple and good is the Restaurant-Pizzeria “Il Barbarossa”, near San Fedele square.

Vine and good food –  Como – via Cesare Cantù 9 / Enoteca Castiglioni  – inside there also is a simple little good restaurant good food and fantastic aperitif and wine – https://www.castiglionistore.com/dove-siamo-3 – Castiglioni Giannino Saibeni Snc Di Rosa & C

-“Ristorante il Frate” is famous for the good regional food,  via Bellinzona 160, 10’ by bus from the town. www.risoranteilfrate.it

-If you want a luxury place go to “Bar alle Terme”, Albergo Terminus, near Piazza Cavour, for a drink or a lunch or dinner.

-A luxury place is  also “Ristorante Miramonti” in the “Villa Flori hotel”
www.hotelvillaflori.com, not far from the centre of the town, near Cernobbio. You can arrive also with a pleasant walk.
-The most expensive is Grand Hotel Villa D’Este in Cernobbio (Como) 5 stars; one of the most famous in the world.

• Good Hotel with fantastic view: Hilton Hotel COMO

  

  

Where to sleep

The less expensive and good hotel is “Hotel Quarcino” closed to the lake, www.hotelquarcino.it but you have to reserve for time. Many BED&BREAKFAST are in the town.

• On Brunate, the mountain of the town, you can stay in “Hotel Falchetto” 3 stars, looking at the lake from your window and going to the town by a funicular in 7’.

— B&B  ”LA FINESTRA SUL LAGO”: Pigra. By car or by train from Milan and boat from Como to Argegno and then by cabin. A wonderful view on the lake ! www.lafinestrasulago.it ; tel. 3479140124    elgafran@alice.it  Camere da 30-35 euro.

• The best of Como are: the town, the lake, the mountains and Switzerland to see Lugano, Locarno, Arona and St.Moritz.
• The worst of my town is that can be expensive and it is not easy to find a good restaurant especially if you don’t want to spend a lot of money, the same for the hotel.
• Many people come to Como because of villa of George Clooney.

FOTO: di Grazia Seregni Copyright© All rights reserved – Qualsiasi riproduzione, anche parziale, senza autorizzazione scritta è vietata. Legge 633 del 22 Aprile 1941 e successive modifiche.