Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Eastern Shore
Lago di Como's shadier eastern shore has a wilder feel to it. The main town is Lecco (pop
47,800), with a winding waterfront, but there's little of specific interest; otherwise the key
attraction is pretty Varenna situated a short hop across the water from Bellagio. If driving,
skip the motorway and meander along the SS36 from Colico south to Lecco. At the north-
ern end of the lake, 3km south of Colico, a side road leads 2km from the SP72 to this
on a promontory stretching out into the lake. The present church is Romanesque, but the
highlight (apart from the setting) is the 13th-century cloister and the incomparable views
across the lake to Gravedona.
VARENNA
POP 810
Villa-studded Varenna sits across the lake from Bellagio and vies with its better-known
neighbour for the title of prettiest village on the lake. Its pastel-coloured houses rise
steeply up the hillside and its gardens and walkways burst with flowers and birdsong. A
series of lanes and stairways slither down the hill to the water's edge. About halfway
down is Varenna's main street, the pedestrianised Via XX Settembre. Higher up, the SP72
passes the town's two most luxurious villas and the cobbled main square,
Piazza San Gior-
gio
, before scooting on north.
Those arriving by ferry land at Piazzale Martiri della Libertà. From here, a 15- to
20-minute stroll follows a flower-laden shoreline pathway up to Piazza San Giovanni and
the town's two main attractions, the gardens of
Villa Cipressi
( 0341 83 01 13;
www.hotelvillacipressi.it
;
Via IV Novembre 22; adult/child €4/2; 9am-7pm Mar-Oct)
, surrounding a
luxury hotel, and, 100m further south,
Villa Monastero
( 0341 29 54 50;
www.villamonastero.eu
;
Via IV Novembre; villa & gardens adult/reduced €8/4, gardens only €5/2;
gar-
dens 9am-7pm, villa 2-7pm Fri, 9am-7pm Sat & Sun Mar-Oct, closed Nov-Feb)
, a former convent
turned into a vast residence by the Mornico family in the 17th century.
From the north end of Varenna, you can make a steep half-hour hike up an old mule
path (or drive 3km on the SP65) to the hillside hamlet of Vezio. It is dominated by the
once part of a chain of early-warning medieval watchtowers. From here you can gaze
down on the terracotta rooftops of Varenna, and at 4pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday
and Sunday they host a falconry display.
