Pianello del Lario, Lake Como: The Village of the Boat Museum
Pianello del Lario on Lake Como’s upper shore is home to the Museo della Barca Lariana, a remarkable collection of traditional Lake Como boats and craft.
The Lake Como Blog
Everything below is organised the way people actually plan a trip here: start with the essentials, pick what interests you, then browse the villages or dig into the latest articles further down.
Start planning Lake Como
The essentials, in the order most first-time visitors need them.
- Lake Como Travel GuideWhere to start if this is your first trip.
- Ferry GuideTimetables, routes and how tickets actually work.
- From Milan & AirportsMalpensa, Linate and Bergamo to the lake.
- Where to StayWhich town to base yourself in, and why.
- Best Time to VisitSeason by season, what to expect.
- Parking GuideDriving in, ZTLs and where to leave the car.
Choose what interests you
Jump straight to the kind of trip you’re planning.
- Villages & TownsAll 50, mapped and filterable.
- Villas & LandmarksThe grand houses and gardens worth the detour.
- Walking & HikingTrails, viewpoints and how strenuous they really are.
- FamiliesFerries, strollers, heat and what actually works with kids.
- Solo TravelIndependent planning without overplanning.
- Rainy-Day PlanningA practical backup plan when the weather turns.
- Film LocationsStar Wars, Casino Royale and other screen sites.
- Culture & FoodHistory, tradition and the character behind the postcard.
Explore the villages
A small selection to start with — the full map covers all 50.
- ComoFirst-time visitors and day-trippers from Milan wanting a city base with shops, restaurants and transport.
- CernobbioVilla and garden lovers after old-world glamour on the western shore, without the crowds.
- VarennaCouples and garden lovers wanting a calmer base than Bellagio once the day boats leave.
- NessoPhotographers and walkers hunting the quieter, dramatic side of the eastern shore.
- GravedonaRomanesque architecture and open-water swimming on the upper lake, without the crowds.
- LeccoA genuine Italian city over a resort — literature, mountains and lower prices.
Practical planning
Transport, timing and getting around without stress.
-
-
Musso, Lake Como: The Village Beneath the Pirate’s Rock
Musso on Lake Como’s upper western shore sits beneath the Sasso di Musso — a white crag crowned by the ruins of the castle from which a 16th-century warlord ruled.
-
Valmadrera, Lake Como: A Town Between the Water and the Peaks
Valmadrera sits at the southern end of Lake Como’s Lecco arm — a quiet lakefront beneath the Corno Birone, and a gateway to walks in the surrounding peaks.
-
Abbadia Lariana, Lake Como: The Silk Mill on the Quiet Shore
Abbadia Lariana on Lake Como’s Lecco arm keeps a rare working silk mill, a stretch of the Sentiero del Viandante, and quiet beaches beneath the Grigne.
-
Oliveto Lario, Lake Como: Three Hamlets Among the Olive Groves
Oliveto Lario on Lake Como’s Lecco arm gathers three quiet hamlets — Onno, Vassena and Limonta — among olive groves, with swimming coves and mountain roads.
-
Pognana Lario, Lake Como: A Balcony on the Eastern Shore
Pognana Lario is a small, quiet village on Lake Como’s eastern shore — terraced lanes, wide views across the water, and a peaceful base between Como and Nesso.
-
Faggeto Lario, Lake Como: A Quiet Shore Beneath the Mountains
Faggeto Lario on Lake Como’s eastern shore is a group of quiet lakeside hamlets and a gateway to the trails of the Triangolo Lariano above Como.
-
Colonno, Lake Como: Where the Greenway Begins
Colonno on Lake Como’s western shore marks the start of the Greenway del Lago — a quiet village of old lanes and a fine gateway to walking the Tremezzina.
-
Urio, Lake Como: A Small Village on the Western Shore
A short guide to Urio on Lake Como’s western shore — a quiet village of villas and lanes between Moltrasio and Laglio, its church, and the lakefront.
-
Brienno, Lake Como: The Medieval Village That Rises From the Water
Brienno on Lake Como is a medieval village of covered passageways and houses rising straight from the water — a quiet, car-free corner of the western shore.
