On the porch of the Limone restaurant, with a plate of fish delicacies and a glass of white, we were struck by the thought: no matter how wonderful the vibrant Milan is, you want to relax your soul from the endless dynamics of the city and dissolve in the charm of enchanting landscapes with alpine mountains, cypress trees and fruit trees against the backdrop of a blue lake . No, this is not a fantasy, such a place really is on the map, and his name is Lake Como.
Behind the landscape, akin to a postcard in a glossy magazine, it is not necessary to travel to the ends of the world. The real pearl of Italy, hid at the foot of the Alps in the province of Lombardy. And to get to it, just take a train ticket from Milan to the town of Como.
On Lake Como, time flows differently
You can leave from the stations of Cadorna, Port Garibaldi, or from the Central - Milano Centrale. The train from Cadorna arrives at the Como Lago station in the city, from where it is not far from the lake.
If you have time, take a walk through the historic center of Como. Take a look at the local Duomo - Maria Assunta's gothic white marble church. Get to the Volta temple - the very physicist who gave the world an electric battery. The two-story museum with columns, which really looks like a temple of science, displays apparatuses that the great physicist worked on, as well as family relics and artifacts.
Volta Temple (Alessandro Volta Museum)
Take a walk along the city’s promenade, and on the Place de Gasperi take the funicular along the cable car built in the 19th century to Mount Brunate. Tickets cost 5 euros. From the top of Brunate a magnificent panorama of Como opens: slopes overgrown with centuries-old fir trees, squares of brown tiles and a blue canvas of the lake. Pleasant cafes spread out on their verandas - a special pleasure to dine and drink a glass of wine at such an extraordinary height, which is called the "Alpine balcony". You can return to Como along the path that passes through the monastery of the 15th century San Donato.
The Como - Brunate funicular can be reached from the lake shore to the alpine terraces
Take the time to wrap yourself in a silk museum on Via Castelnuovo, where they will show you the full silk production cycle - from growing caterpillars to looms. And on Via Cernobbio is the MuST Museum with 400,000 samples of ancient fabrics from velvet to brocade. Nearby, in small shops you can buy silk scarves as a gift at a price of 20 euros.
If you visit the desire to go on a water excursion by boat or boat, go to the central square of Cavour, from where ships run to Varenna, Bellagio, Cernobbio, Tremezzo and other resort towns. For 12 euros you can buy a reusable ticket and ride from one village to another from 9.00 to 20.00. And they are scattered along the shores of the lake in the form of a slingshot. Since the days of the Roman Empire, aristocrats settled here because of the mild climate, and the chic of detached villas, immersed in the luxury of flowering greenery, is pleasing to the eye. It is beautiful everywhere - just have time to turn your head.
Villa Carlotta is number one in all guides
Villa "Carlotta" in all guidebooks is number one not by chance. It is located in the town of Tremezzo. Entrance costs 9 euros. The villa itself has preserved works of art of the 18th century: paintings, sculptures of Canova and Thorvaldsen and antique furniture. Around the villa on an area of 8 hectares there is a luxurious botanical garden with more than 500 species of plants. The riot of flowers on the Alpine slides is breathtaking. Here you can stroll through the labyrinths of flowering trees, cut shrubs, cacti and a bamboo grove in which a waterfall is hidden.
For lovers of botany - the villa has a museum of agricultural tools.
In Varenna, you should visit Villa Monastero with its rare beauty botanical garden, where agave and yucca grow and oleanders bloom surrounded by fountains and balustrades.
In Bellagio - to stray through the narrow streets, go around Villa Melzi and be inspired by the places where Stendhal wrote and composed Ferenc Liszt.
Lake Como is very close to the Swiss border
If you travel by boat, you will notice a tiny oasis in the middle of the water - this is the island of Isola Comachina. On the island, there is a restaurant in which the menu has not changed since the establishment of the institution, namely since 1947. Lunch consists of five dishes and costs 70 euros. At the end of the meal, the owner of the tavern holds a ceremony of expelling demons, treats all tourists with his signature coffee and talks about the island.
Time seems to flow differently on Lake Como. Beauty, harmony and inspiration - these are the three words that characterize this wonderful place, which everyone should visit.
Posted by: Albina Dragan
