Milan – Day 2: The Lake Como Escape
Milan
Day 2: The Lake Como Escape
June 05, 2024
With an extra day in Milan before our next flight, we decided to go for a road trip around one of Italy’s jewels – the grand Lake Como.
Lake Como, in northern Italy’s Lombardy region, is a stunning glacial lake shaped like an inverted “Y”. Surrounded by Alpine foothills, it’s famous for its picturesque villages, luxurious villas and lush gardens. The lake is popular for boating, hiking and water sports, while its scenic beauty and mild climate make it a magnet for tourists and celebrities alike.
With limited time at our disposal, we decided to explore a few areas around the south-western branch of the inverted Y. Our first stop would be the city of Como, located at the southern tip of the lake and serving as one of the lake’s main hubs, as well as a historic centre of commerce and culture. It features narrow cobblestone streets, elegant squares and a mix of Gothic, Renaissance and later architecture.
As much as I wanted to explore the picturesque city, we stuck mostly to the lakeside promenade, where we could admire the fantastic panorama of the lake and the surrounding towns in the background, as swans floated elegantly on its mirror-like surface. Just like a postcard!
The Bridge That Stole My Heart
Once on the road, we’d stop after every other corner to take photos of the surreal landscapes as we made our way to the village of Nesso – arguably my favourite stop of the trip.
While it’s mostly known for its quaint, authentic charm, narrow alleys, colourful houses and the popular Orrido di Nesso waterfall, I have to admit that it was the old stone bridge that made me fall in love with the charming town. In fact, it was the Ponte della Civera that stole my heart – a historic stone bridge near the mouth of the dramatic gorge of the Orrido di Nesso, connecting the village to the lake below.
Here, the grey cobblestoned bridge contrasted with the pastel-coloured houses covered in green ivy and the verdant green of the lake, where a few people were swimming. It made me think of Call Me by Your Name – the perfectly idyllic Italian dolce far niente lifestyle that I occasionally long for. I could totally imagine myself retiring there one day!
The Pearl of the Lake
And so went our day trip. We had lunch and then headed towards Bellagio, otherwise known as the Pearl of the Lake. The town sits at the tip of the triangular promontory where Lake Como splits into its two southern branches.
Once again, we didn’t have much time to go around the town, and so we decided to spend an hour walking along the rose-lined lakeside promenade. I gotta say, this is probably where we had the most Instagrammable photoshoots.
From there, we hopped on a ferry and crossed the lake to get to Menaggio, another charming town on the western shore of the lake. Here, we treated ourselves to one of the best ice creams I’ve ever tasted and hung around the town centre before heading back to Milan. As rushed as everything had been, I only knew one thing: I’d want to go back!
