I like Roberto Butto's stuff, but unfortunately didn't have the budget for it, nor could I vision a…read morespecial place to display it at home. However, I did wander into his Varenna outpost and admire not only his works, but the cool barn-like (I'm from Iowa) architectural touches.

This particular Studio d'Arte is located a few short steps up from the Varenna promenade and offers…read morea very attractive and appealing of prints, watercolors, and other pretty things to display on a special wall. I stopped in several times to look around and try to figure out how to make a few pieces of art work.

If you want the BEST pictures and views then come here on the early train from Milan and globe…read morethere at 0930 when they open. The early morning light of the grande and lake make superb lighting for all your personal photos. Quiet and serene this is the place to pray, relax or just walk around and enjoy the fantastic views. A MUST SEE when you travel here.

Absolutely loved this garden!…read more Pros: - If you have a student ID, it's only 2 euros to get in, if not only 5 euros - The place is fairly large, we spent 2 hours here just relaxing and taking tons of photos - Bring food, wine and games for a picnic - they have benches scattered around the garden - Lots of shade so don't worry about getting stuck under the sun all day - The amount of work they put into the garden is reflected by the stunning visuals you'll see Cons: None!

Aletier is an amazing little shop that specializes in gorgeous etchings. Maybe the Art of Design…read moreand engraving is a better choice of words. No pictures are allowed inside, so all I can show for my visit is this "Oh Wow!" review, a strong suggestion that you too visit and visit their web site, and a picture of their door.

Take a cruise or a ferry to explore Lake Como…read more We booked a day trip from Milan to Lake Como with Ciao Florence. The public ferry was an interesting experience. Our family was able to find a place to stand on the top deck and eventually find seats. Our tour guide and group were scattered all over the ferry which made it a bit disorganized. The ferry itself was amazing. The views were magical on a wonderful sunny Friday. When our guide finally located most of the group that had migrated to the top floor, he gave us a bit of insight into Villa Carlotta. The history is one with many families involved. Originally built on ancestral land by the Clerici family who became successful silk merchants. The country estate and gardens were built in the 1690s. As with many wealthy families, the great grandson spent too much money building an extravagant palazzo, the Palazzo Clerici in Milan, which forced his heirs to see their Lake Como villa sold to cover their debts. Over the next couple of hundred years, the property continued to exchange hands until it was eventually was converted to a museum and gardens by royal decree. Nice to be able to see it from the ferry. Maybe next time, we will have more time to explore the villa and its gardens.

What an amazing place! It's a museum and a garden, the bottom floor is a cool interactive museum.read more

Out of the vast multitude of art galleries selling pumped-out renditions of the locale, this…read moreunpretentious little space just a few steps off the main square in Varenna is an art-lover's delight. The artist, Paul DeMaria Guaitamacchi, has a wonderful sense of color temperature and feel for the landscape. He has a varied offering, with pieces done plein air as well as in studio. Subjects range from Sicilian landscapes to Chicago urban scenes. The original oil paintings are reasonably priced for the quality of work, and Melita, Paul's wife, is a charming hostess. Highly recommend you visit this gallery if you are in Varenna.

Great find! Excellent selection of italian wines. They have dispensing self serve wine tasting…read more Grab a debit card from the staff and try an amazing selection of regional wines. They also ship world wide. The staff will educates you on every wine if you like. English friendly, too.

What a gem!!!! Had the best time here with my friend sampling some amazing wines!! The staff here…read moreare so friendly, patient, and so, so knowledgeable about wines. The wine tasting machine is just genius, and our experience was totally enhanced by the woman helping us who was able to tell us the backstory on all of the wines we tasted, explain the flavours and notes, and describe the process of making different types of wine. Each sample costs anywhere between 3-5 Euros, and you get a pretty decent amount in each pour. It's good fun :P I also didn't realize at the time, but they have a really unique selection of wines. My friend and I found the most amazing red wine there, called Kairos, which is a blend of like 15 different grapes! We tried looking for the same wine in other Italian cities but could not find it anywhere, which was devastating. Come here if you want to learn about and try some delicious and unique wines! I would come here again in a heartbeat, even if it was just for a glass of that Kairos mmm mmm.

I couldn't be more thrilled to have found this delightful restaurant. An elderly Italian couple…read morewelcomed us into their cozy, 6-table restaurant. With their limited English (and our nonexistent Italian) we were able to order and enjoy a delicious meal. The marinated vegetable appetizer was a variety of nicely seasoned veggies---carrots, artichokes, tiny mushrooms, pearl onions, zucchini. The grilled cheese appetizer stole the show. A nice piece of toma, a cow's milk cheese that is a regional specialty, wrapped in the thinnest slices of smoked ham and then grilled. Cutting it open, the melting cheese relaxed onto the serving platter (and soon after, into my mouth!) It was perfect with the fresh bread provided. Our main course was the evening special, parmigiana di melanzane (eggplant parmasean). Only the freshest ingredients made it a delight. Espresso was all we could have after this much food, but the desserts served to a nearby table looked good enough that we may have to return. When you are in Bellano, i highly recommend Taverna Malanote.

Tonight we walked off the beaten path and checked out Taverna Malanotte! This is the perfect little…read morespot for people Looking for a genuine experience and not a cheesy tourist stop on the strip. This family owned restaurant wine bar is cared for by Roberta and Carlo. Roberta and Carlo make you feel like you are having a home cooked meal, especially because Roberta is actually preparing it. When we walked in, Carlo nodded for us to sit wherever we'd like. It is a very relaxed and home feeling environment. They didn't speak much English, but we were able to converse in Spanish perfectly. Roberta is especially sweet and tells you what she's made for the night. We initially went for the lasagna, but unfortunately it was sold out. This unfortune was actually a huge fortune, because she made us her risotto and parmigiana melanzana!!!! They were both excellent. I don't even like eggplant and that parmigiano was the best thing I had to eat in my two week vacation in Italy! Then there was Roberta's homemade chocolate cake. OMG! It reminded me of my mom's chocolate soufflé but in a cake form. Get the cake! My husband had the tiramisu which did not disappoint either! We also ordered a Bruschetta as an appetizer and that was wonderful as well! Roberta even gave us her email to ask for the recipe for the parmigiana! All in all, I would say we highly recommend this place! A couple came in after us and tried to order the lasagna as well as they had had it a couple nights prior and were back to order it again! Bummed we didn't get to try it, but we were not dissapointed in the least. We will certainly be back the next time we visit Bellano.