B o n g i o r n o... What a quant little Palazzo located next to Lake Como. Palazzo means square…read more Walk around on the ancient cobblestone streets to the many shops, eateries and churches. Plenty of Gelaterias for the ice cream addicts like myself. All though, it's a little hard to tell where one Palazzo ends and the other one starts, it's all one beautiful village.

This seems the same listing but with different name for the Como Cathedral. The duomo in Como is…read moredefinitely worth visiting, which is usually referred as the last cathedral built in Italy. It's very beautiful and spectacular both outside and inside, and it's the most impressive church in this area. I'd certainly recommend visiting here.

The name Villa Olmo is derived from a magnificent hundred-year-old elm that no longer exists. It…read morewas built in the neoclassical style on the commission of Marquis Innocenzo Odescalchi, from the family line of Pope Innocent XI (1676-1689). The construction of the Villa started in 1782 and finished in 1797. The director of the construction was Simone Cantoni, an eminent architect from Ticino who developed the original project drafted by Innocenzo Ragazzoni also from Ticino. Cantoni collaborated with Domenico, Carlo, Luca and Giuseppe Pozzi and the sculptor Francesco Carabelli. The Villa played host to a number of famous visitors, among the illustrious guests being Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797 and Ugo Foscolo in 1809. Upon the death of Innocenzo Odescalchi in 1824, the villa passed to the Raimondi family who took it upon themselves to put the large piazza opposite the villa in order. Once again the villa was witness to historical visits and meetings; in 1835, the Queen of the Two Sicilies and the Queen of Sardinia were guests of the Raimondis. In 1883, the heirs of Marquis Raimondi sold the villa to Duke Guido Visconti di Modrone who decided to carry out a programme of restoration and improvement which would include the interior of the building. In 1924, the villa passed from the Visconti di Modrone to the city of Como. Thus began the fourth period in its history under the banner of Art and Science. On the centenary of Alessandro Volta's death in 1927, the villa hosted numerous local events, congresses, conventions, symposia and shows. Since 1982 it has been the home of the Alessandro Volta Centre of Scientific Culture and hosts many international events.

This villa would be better is a more boring place, but the lake outside is so much better that's…read moreit's probably not worth coming here unless you have time to burn. This was the least impressive attraction I saw here, but it's free.

The best view in all of Lake Como…read more We were so lucky to have hiked up to this landmark on a clear sunny day. The views are as far as the eye can see; actually all the way to the Alps! Street hiking ~ there are many sections, especially the last section before reaching the lighthouse, where the incline is very challenging. Could be especially slippery on a rainy day. Appropriate shoes with ankle support highly recommended; some of our group could not complete the hike in sandals and unfortunately could not make it to the top. Bring water ~ on our day the weather was slightly warm and so grateful the burden of carrying water quenched our thirst. A must see when visiting Como and a great cardio & leg workout to burn off all the pasta ;)

Faro Voltiano, also known as the Volta Lighthouse, was built in 1927. It is located in Brunate,…read morehigh above the lake. The lighthouse is really a monument, as opposed to a warning for ships, and is dedicated to scientist Alessandro Volta, inventor of the battery. The tower is 95 feet high (29 meters) and is viewable from many spots around the lake. At night the lighthouse flashes a white, red and green light, which we could easily see from the Sheraton Lake Como Hotel. The lighthouse is easy to reach by car, or visitors can take the really cool funicular from Como to Brunate and then walk the arduous 30 plus minute incline to the lighthouse summit. The views are well worth the hike (though I was beginning to doubt that after about 20 minutes of vertical hiking), providing a panoramic perspective of Lake Como, including a great view of the Villa d'Este and its' floating pool. You can also take the funicular and then grab a ride from Brunate, bypassing the hike. The views in the attached photos are from the base of the lighthouse, we didn't bother climbing the steps to the top. Regardless, we thought the views were awesome from our vantage point and were happy to grab a bench and sit a while on this unseasonably warm October day. If we include the fun hike, great views, and picturesque town of Bruante, we'd give the overall experience five-stars.

It's a small church located in Como town, which is not accessible to public. You can only see the…read moreinside of the church at the entrance, and that's the only part available from outside.

This is an extremely plain and boring building that's squished between other buildings. If you look…read moreat my photo, that's literally ALL there is to the outside of the basilica. This is the least impressive basilica I've seen in Italy. They project images on it at night, but they need to do that to make it remotely interesting. I glanced inside but it's not very small compared to the other places.

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

First off, wow! Amazing view with amazing food, service and quaintness. Cannot wait to come back…read morefor the pumpkin gnocchi...THAT WAS SOO AMAZING!

A cafe with killer view!…read more Pluses: The view! The food - Osso buco and pork chop and desserts. Service. Areas to improve - none Just go! Romantic for couples but also great for families and big groups. Great value for quantity and quality of food!

Came here at the recommendation of a friend living in Zurich. Such a wonderful experience. The…read moresmall island is a short boat ride from Locarno (also a short boat ride from Ascona). Entrance fee was small (about 8CHF). But wow, what a view! And the flowers! Heavenly. The smell of Jasmine was everywhere. Loved the flowers from around the globe, the Roman "bath" and the Bamboo garden. Very easy to spend an entire day here. A must visit, especially if you like nature, flowers, spectacular views, and the outdoors.