Lake Como/Varenna, Italy
September 2022
How we got to this picturesque village:
We flew into Milan Malpensa airport, worn slap out. Who can sleep on a plane?
After going through passport control, follow the signs that direct you to the trains. Use the kiosk right before the train station to purchase your tickets to Milano Centrale Railway Station. There are people standing by to help you with it. You must use a debit card. It is approximately a one-hour train ride.
Milan: 1 night
Hotel Bristol: https://www.hotelbristolmil.it
The hotel is located across the street from Milano Centrale Railway Station. The surrounding area is kind of sketchy, but the hotel is clean and nice. We ate supper back at the train station. (Didn’t want to wander too far from the hotel) Stayed at Hotel Bristol for convenience. Great breakfast.
Tips:
- You can’t easily buy your train ticket in advance from Milan Malpensa airport to Milano Centrale Railway Station, but you can buy train tickets from Milano Centrale Railway Station to Varenna in advance. We bought our tickets before we flew to Italy.
- Download the Rome2Rio, Omio and/or RailEurope apps: Trains, Buses & Airlines apps to purchase advance tickets.
Varenna, a fishing village dating back to the eleventh century is located on Italy’s Lake Como. The mid-size traditional village is a good base for excursions to other mid-lake villages. The train station and ferries will take you to other villages. You can hop on and off a ferry to visit towns along Lake Como.
A passerella (lakeside promenade) loops through Varenna casting beautiful photographic views of the lake. There are plenty of restaurants and shops in town
Varenna: 3 nights
Hotel Olivedo: http://www.olivedo.it/en
Once you arrive at Varenna’s train station, follow the blue painted pedestrian lane down to the main road. Less than a 10-minute walk from the train station, this charming hotel built in 1896 is right across from the harbor and ferry landing. Owned by the same family for four generations (Titti, the mom and her children Martina and Luigi run the hotel). Our room had a Juliet balcony offering a scenic view of the lake and a side balcony you could sit on and watch the people in the square. The corner room was spacious, comfortable, and quiet during the night. Breakfast is included and very good.
Tips:
- Perhaps this was once a sleepy village town a long time ago, but it’s been discovered. Avoid weekends. Try to visit outside high season (late March through October), but beware some restaurants will close during slow season
- The streets are cobblestone so wear comfortable shoes.
- Make dinner reservations.
Meals:
- Ristorante il Caminetto http://www.ilcaminettoonline.com
We made our reservation back in the states before we left for Italy. To get to the
Restaurant you take a windy road to a mountain trattoria in Gittana (a tiny town up in
the hills above Varenna). They will pick you up for free at the ferry dock and bring you
back after dinner. The owners Moreno and Rossella serve only 22 dinners per night and
they stay booked. The food is delicious.
- Locanda Cavallino is an open-air restaurant run by the owners of the Hotel Olivedo and is located next door to the hotel. It has good food and wine. I had Risotto with scallops and Tiramasu for dessert. Yum.
Adventures:
- Hike to Castello di Vezio. Put on your climbing shoes.
A steep stony trail with 580’ elevation gains to reach a ruined Medieval castle dating to Roman times (30 minutes climb more or less). The 3-mile round trip hike is well worth the effort. Beautiful views of Lake Como and Varenna. The castle has Paper-Mache ghosts along the stone wall.
Tips:
- To get to the castle, hike up Via per Vezio which is a narrow road near Hotel Montecodeno. Follow castello When you come to the cemetery you have made it. When you reach the snack bar you can buy your entry ticket.
- Use AllTrails app to navigate to the castle. The paper maps are not detailed enough.
- Go early. You beat the crowds and depending on time of year it can be hot in the sun.
- Take water and a snack.
- Take sunscreen, sun shirt and hat.
- Check weather report
- Wayfarers’ Path
Since we had hiked up to Castello di Vezio, we decided instead of hiking back to Varenna we would take the Wayfarers’ Path to Bellano and have lunch. As you descend from the castle pick up the Sentiero Del Viandante track north. There are some steep trails, but they are well maintained. Bellano is about 3.5 km away. There are stunning panoramic views of Lake Como along the way. An old church, olive groves and small streams are things you will see along the Path of the Wayfarer. Look for and follow the sign with this symbol:
Tips:
- Hiking to both the castle and then to Bellano along the Wayfarers’ Path was a bit ambitious. I questioned my sanity but was too far along to turn back. 21,514 steps recorded on my Apple watch plus 145 flights climbed by the end of the day.
- Don’t do both the castle hike and Wayfarers’ Path to Bellano together unless you’re up for it. I felt I was too tired once I got to Bellano to explore the cute town.
- Use AllTrails app to navigate.
- Stony path is steep on parts of the trail.
Bellano (Hallelujah, I made it)
A quaint small town on the eastern shore of Lake Como. The town was not crowded and is a hidden gem on Lake Como. Amazing views and friendly people.
Meals:
- Arrigoni Café
Reasonably priced food for lunch. Friendly staff and had a view of the lake.
Tips:
- We stayed a short time in Bellano. Stay longer and visit the main attraction in town: Orrido di Bellano. It’s a natural gorge created 15 million years ago. You can visit the canyon by accessing footbridges anchored on the high walls. https://www.discoveringbellano.eu/en/orrido-di-bellano-en
When we return, we’ll be sure to check this out.
- You can take the train or water taxi back to Varenna. We took the train. Two euros per person. Once you buy your train ticket, go ahead and validate it before you head to the platform on Track 2.
Another viable, perhaps easier, option, if you’re up for it is to take the train to Bellano and explore the town and its sights, then hike the Path of the Wayfarer back to Varenna…a long slow climb which will end at the Castello di Vezio. Explore the castle (since you’re there) and the walk back to Varenna town is all downhill…literally.
- Free-circulation Ferry tickets (Hop on and Hop off)
Free-circulation tickets: holders of these tickets are entitled to make intermediate stops between the piers for which the ticket was issued (if you want to visit multiple destinations by lake in a single day, this is probably the best choice). 23.30 euros per person, valid for one day.
Tickets can be purchased at the ticket office near the dock.
Tips:
- If you’re purchasing at the ticket office, get there 20 minutes before the departure or buy them early in the morning. There were times the lines were long.
Menaggio
Our first stop on the ferry was Menaggio. A town with ancient origins. We knew we wouldn’t have time to explore the town, so we walked the lake promenade that had beautiful flowerbeds and colorful houses across the street. We saw lots of facilities that allow you to take a boat trip or rent a boat. I wish we had.
Bellagio
Our second stop was Bellagio. It was a beehive at the harbor. Once you walk away from the harbor you can enjoy the village.
Bellagio is known as the Pearl of Lake Como with beautiful villas overlooking the water and the small alleys and streets will transport you back in time.
Head to the old town center and take the only main road, Via Giuseppe Garibaldi which will take you to the tip of the village. Off the main road are alleys that will take you down to the lakefront. There are shops, restaurants and, as always, stairs in the alleys.
Punta Spartivento is the point at the end of the peninsula where Lake Como splits into three different branches. Gorgeous views.
Be sure and climb all the way to the top of Salita Serbelloni, one of the narrow streets which will have wonderful views of town and the lake.
Meals:
- La Bellagina ristorante pizzeria
Located upstairs with a view of the lake. Had pizza. Pretty darn good.
Continued our walk after lunch to I Giardini di Villa Melzi https://giardinidivillamelzi.it/en/home-eng
8 euros/person
There is a historic villa and surrounding botanical gardens with statues on the grounds. The Villa Melzi, which is private, and no visitors are allowed to tour it. There is a Family Chapel you’ll want to explore. My expectations were there would be a lot of flowers but in September there wasn’t much in bloom. I imagine it’s beautiful in spring when the azaleas and rhododendrons are blooming. The best part was strolling along the walkway by the lake.
Tips:
- If you stay in Varenna, I’d pack a picnic lunch and rent a boat. It’s about a 20-minute boat ride to Bellagio and you can explore the coast on your own.
- Or find a private boat tour in Bellagio to take you around the island. Just plan this in advance.
Wish I had: Next trip to Lake Como, weather permitting, we will spend the money to rent a boat for a full day, pack a lunch (with drinks) and cruise the entire shoreline of Lake Como.