Originally Posted by
kajonesbu
We'll be heading to Lake Como in a couple days and looking for some help with things to see and do. We're staying at Villa D'Este for 4 nights. See below for tentative itinerary and questions:
Day 1: Drive from Milan (any sights to see along the way)?
Day 2: Planning to drive to Bellagio (any must see sights? any restaurant recs for lunch?) in the morning and spend the morning/early afternoon there.
Day 3: Doing a boat trip in the afternoon
Day 4: Open day considering driving to Lugano (is it worth it? are there any other towns worth exploring)?
As mentioned above we'll have a car and have driven before in Italy so don't mind driving. Are there any good hiking trails in the area? What are the other can't miss towns in the Lake Como region? How's the parking situation in some of these smaller towns? Is taking the cable car to Brunate worth it?
Any insight would be much appreciated.
Two lesser known sites worth a visit:
Castello di Vezio above Varenna. Park in Varenna and take a taxi up to the Castle (actually drops you in a hamlet near the Castle) and hike back down (steep but lovely footpath). Check the website and if you can schedule your visit to coincide with a Falconry demonstration at the Castle. It's a ruined castle that you can climb all over.
You'll pass La Ceramiche di Vezio on your way to the Castle. If she's open there are some very nice one-off pieces on offer.
Orrido di Bellano. A remarkable gorge and waterfall. You can drive right up to the entrance. There are walkways throughout the gorge. Extra advantage- it's always much cooler in the gorge.
Castello di Vezio overlooking Varenna.
Orrido di Bellano