Visit Côme

A marble cathedral a stone's throw from the water, an old town ringed by walls, a funicular climbing above the rooftops and boats leaving for the lakeside villas: Como can be discovered in a day and makes an ideal base to explore the shore over two or three days.

Why stay in Como rather than Bellagio?

Como is the only real town on the lake: it is under an hour by train from Milan, accommodation is more varied and scheduled boats leave its pier for every village. It is also an art town in its own right, with a Renaissance cathedral and one of the masterpieces of Italian rationalist architecture.

Como's must-sees

The town and its heights, then the finest villas on the west shore, reachable by boat.

Como Cathedral

Built from the 14th to the 18th century, it blends a Gothic and Renaissance facade with a Baroque choir and dome. Statues of the two Plinys, natives of Como, frame its portal.

Brunate Funicular

Its cars have climbed the steep mountainside above town since 1894. The view over the lake opens up as the town shrinks beneath your feet.

Volta Lighthouse

A lighthouse built in San Maurizio in 1927 for the centenary of Alessandro Volta's death. You can climb its staircase for a circular panorama over the lake and the Alps.

Tempio Voltiano

A small neoclassical museum by the water devoted to Alessandro Volta, the Como-born physicist who invented the electric battery, with his original instruments.

Villa Olmo

A white neoclassical villa from the late 18th century set on the lakeshore, surrounded by Italian gardens open to all and hosting temporary exhibitions.

Casa del Fascio

A rationalist building by Giuseppe Terragni completed in 1936, a global reference of modern architecture, right behind the cathedral. Its marble facade is admired from outside.

Basilica of Sant'Abbondio

An 11th-century Romanesque church with twin bell towers, away from the centre, with a choir entirely covered in 14th-century frescoes telling the life of Christ.

Villa del Balbianello

A villa on the Lavedo headland near Lenno, with loggias and terraces dropping into the lake. Reached by water taxi or by a path from the village.

What to do in Como and around the lake?

The walled town, the città murata

Como's historic centre fits into a quadrangle about 500 metres across, still partly surrounded by its medieval walls, with the 1192 Porta Torre as the main southern entrance. Its pedestrian streets link Piazza Duomo to Piazza San Fedele, the old market square lined with half-timbered houses. The town made its fortune from silk, whose history is told in a small educational museum. Half a day is enough to walk around it, cathedral included.

The lungolago and the Villa Olmo walk

From Piazza Cavour, facing the pier, the lakeside promenade heads west past villas and gardens to Villa Olmo, about twenty minutes on foot. Its Italian gardens, free to enter, run down to the water, and the nearby lido allows swimming in summer. To the east, the promenade passes the Tempio Voltiano and the war memorial based on a design by Antonio Sant'Elia. It is the quintessential late-afternoon stroll, as the sun sets over the opposite shore.

Brunate and the heights

The Como-Brunate funicular, running since 1894, climbs in about seven minutes from the shore to the village of Brunate, over 700 metres above sea level. At the top, a walk of about thirty minutes leads to the hamlet of San Maurizio and the Volta lighthouse, from where on clear days the view stretches to the Alps and the Lombardy plain. Hikers walk back down a cobbled path in about an hour. Allow half a day and walking shoes, and go in the morning, before the heat haze veils the panorama.

The lake by boat, from Cernobbio to Bellagio

Scheduled boats leave Como's pier for Cernobbio, Moltrasio, the Tremezzina and Bellagio. The slow boat takes about two hours to Bellagio, the hydrofoil much less: go out by slow boat to enjoy the villas and come back by hydrofoil. From the Tremezzina, Villa Carlotta and its rhododendron gardens take two hours to visit. In the middle of the lake, crossings between Bellagio, Menaggio and Varenna are short and frequent. Allow a full day for this loop, and buy a day pass if you plan several stops.

When to go and how to get there

April-May, for the azaleas and rhododendrons in the gardens, and September, calmer and still mild, are the best times. In July and August, boats are packed and lakeside roads jammed. In winter, most villas close and boat timetables are cut back. Milan is 40 minutes to an hour away by train, Malpensa airport about an hour. The Swiss border is at the edge of town, Lugano half an hour away by train: Como combines easily with Milan or the rest of northern Italy.

Frequently asked questions about Como

How long does the boat from Como to Bellagio take?
About two hours by slow boat, which stops at every village, and much less by hydrofoil, which is more expensive and has less open windows. The best compromise is one trip of each kind, setting off early in the morning to avoid queues at the pier in summer.
Can you visit Como as a day trip from Milan?
Yes, easily: trains take 40 minutes to an hour and arrive near the centre. In a day you can see the cathedral, ride up to Brunate and take a short cruise to Cernobbio. For Bellagio and the villas, a night on the lake is better.
Is the Brunate funicular worth it?
Yes, it gives one of the best views of the lake's first basin for a ride of a few minutes. At the top, carry on to the Volta lighthouse in San Maurizio, about thirty minutes on foot, for a wider panorama. Avoid hazy summer afternoons.
Stay in Como, Bellagio or Varenna?
Como is the most practical choice for a stay combined with Milan and for smaller budgets. Bellagio and Varenna, in the middle of the lake, are more charming in the evening and better placed for crossings, but pricier and harder to reach without a car or boat.
Where to see Lake Como's villas from the town?
Villa Olmo is twenty minutes on foot from the centre. For Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo and Villa del Balbianello in Lenno, take the boat to the Tremezzina. The first stretch of the cruise already passes the villas of Cernobbio and Moltrasio.
Can you pop over to Lugano from Como?
Yes, the train links Como San Giovanni to Lugano in about half an hour. Bring ID, plan for a few Swiss francs or a bank card, and check your mobile plan, as EU roaming does not always apply in Switzerland.
What to see in Como when it rains?
The cathedral, the Basilica of Sant'Abbondio and its frescoes, the Tempio Voltiano and the silk museum easily fill a day. Rain also brings calm to the lake: a covered boat trip remains pleasant, and clouds clinging to the mountains have their own charm.

Plan your trip to Côme

Build your day-by-day itinerary and manage budget, bookings and packing in PlanTripNow.
Aperçu de l'application PlanTripNow