Lake Como
Northern Italy's most storied lake — where old-world grandeur meets la dolce vita on the water.
Lake Como sits in the foothills of the Italian Alps, a slender glacial lake lined with Liberty-style villas, terraced gardens and stone harbours. The shoreline has drawn aristocrats, artists and industrialists for centuries; George Clooney chose Laglio for his retreat, and the lake's mix of discreet glamour and genuine tranquillity explains why.
The accommodation here matches the setting. Grand Hotel Tremezzo, with its Art Nouveau facade and floating pool, remains the quintessential Como address, while Belmond's Hotel Caruso in Ravello-on-the-lake offers infinity-pool views that have graced a thousand magazine covers. More recently, the Mandarin Oriental on the eastern shore has raised the bar with a contemporary take on lakeside luxury: spa gardens tumbling down to a private jetty. Whether you favour a historic palazzo suite or a sleek modern villa, the standard is uniformly exceptional.
Beyond the hotels, Como rewards the curious. Take a wooden speedboat to Villa Balbianello, whose layered gardens appear to float above the water. Linger over a plate of missoltini (sun-dried lake fish pressed with bay leaves) at a family-run trattoria in Varenna. Wander the silk museums of the city of Como itself, a reminder that this region once clothed half of Europe's courts. In spring the azaleas and camellias erupt along every waterfront promenade; in autumn the surrounding peaks blush copper and gold.
Explore Lake Como
