Lake Como

Flaubert found all of nature’s feelings reunited here. To Shelley it appeared to be an immense river flowing between mountains and woods. Stendhal deemed it voluptuous, austere, sublime and lauded its Mediterranean climate. According to Liszt, there was no place in the world more suited for passionate love. And the list could continue with Manzoni, Fogazzaro, Bellini, Wagner, Lucini and many others.

Since the time of Julius Caesar, who first named it Lario, Lake Como has been the place of choice for artists and poets, musicians and romanticists of every origin and culture.

Few places in the world rival the beauty of this expanse of placid water, ensconced in a fabled landscape of snowy peaks, green valleys and serpentine rivers which merge with the blue of the sky. A symbolic place of universal literature, an ideal setting for poets and musicians who here compose the works destined to make them immortal.

Lake Como is a place of dreams and longing for young lovers and tormented hearts, as masterfully immortalized by George Lucas in the most sumptuous and Shakespearean of the Star Wars' episodes.

The third largest Italian lake in area, Lake Como is the deepest of the entire European continent. With its long and narrow shape, resembling an upside down y, it appears fjordlike. Its 170 kilometers of shoreline, shared by the Lombard provinces of Como and Lecco, are dotted with elegant patrician villas, abbeys and ancient villages of fishermen and artisans. An extraordinary balance between nature and culture, built and maintained over the centuries.

Lake Como is a place to discover slowly, preferably by small boat, on foot or bicycle, or on horseback. From famous places like Bellagio, Varenna, Tramezzina, Isola Comacina and Capo Spartivento to the magical territories of Tre Pievi and the Lario Highlands. To discover the church of Santa Maria del Tiglio, masterpiece of Comasco Romanesque dating back to the 1300s, at Gravedona. To immerse oneself in an unspoiled landscape at the natural oasis of the Pian di Spagna. To enjoy windsurfing and other water sports at Domaso and Gera. To play golf at Menaggio. Wherever you find yourself there will be a restaurant or a trattoria where you can sample delicacies of Larian cuisine, a gastronomy based on seafood but also on game and cheeses.

“Nothing in the universe can compare to the wonder of these hot summer days passed on this lake”, noted Stendhal in 1812. Nearly two centuries later, the region of Lario has kept its fascination...