Pianello del Lario, lac de Côme : Le village du musée du bateau
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.
- Guide touristique du lac de CômeWhere 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.
- CômeFirst-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.
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Musso, lac de Côme : Le village sous le rocher du pirate
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.
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Valmadrera, lac de Côme : une ville entre l'eau et les sommets
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.
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Abbadia Lariana, lac de Côme : La fabrique de soie sur la rive paisible
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.
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Oliveto Lario, lac de Côme : trois hameaux parmi les oliveraies
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.
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Pognana Lario, lac de Côme : un balcon sur la rive orientale
Pognana Lario est un petit village paisible sur la rive est du lac de Côme : ruelles en terrasses, vues panoramiques sur l'eau et pied-à-terre tranquille entre Côme et Nesso.
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Faggeto Lario, lac de Côme : une rive paisible sous les montagnes
Faggeto Lario, sur la rive est du lac de Côme, est un groupe de hameaux paisibles au bord de l'eau et une porte d'entrée vers les sentiers du Triangolo Lariano au-dessus de Côme.
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Colonno, lac de Côme : là où commence la Greenway
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.
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Urio, lac de Côme : un petit village sur la rive occidentale
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.
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Brienno, lac de Côme : Le village médiéval qui surgit de l'eau
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.
