Villa Azalea
Beyond the lake: the day trips I'd take
These are the day trips I recommend to my guests. Boat times, parking, where to eat: everything you need to leave Villa Azalea in the morning and be back by evening.
Photo: Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bellagio_and_Lake_Como_ferry.jpg)
1 day
A cruise on Lake Como
This is how I'd spend a first day on the lake: the whole lake by boat, without having to think about parking.
Photo: 2019 © FAI - Fondo Ambiente Italiano, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vista_dal_lago_su_Villa_del_Balbianello,_Bene_FAI_sul_Lago_di_Como.jpg)
1 day
Villa del Balbianello and Villa Monastero by boat
Two of the most beautiful villas on the lake in a single day, with a ticket for each leg of the journey.
Photo: Emibuzz, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ponte_della_Civera_Nesso_colori_d%27autunno.jpg)
1 day
The Bellano and Nesso gorges, on a weekday
The two most famous gorges on the lake in one day, by boat and hydrofoil.
Photo: Kaitu, CC0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Church_Santa_Margherita_(Molina,_Faggeto_Lario)_on_background_of_Lake_Como.jpg)
1 day
The Faggeto gorge and lunch at Pippi’s
The third gorge, open only on Saturday mornings, and a historic trattoria serving traditional dishes.
Photo: Sailko, CC BY 3.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Collegiata_di_castiglione_olona,_esterno_05.jpg)
1 day
The island of Tuscany in Lombardy
Castiglione Olona, the fifteenth-century village redesigned as an ‘ideal city’, with frescoes by Masolino.
Photo: Marco Assini, CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gruppo_delle_Grigne.jpg)
1 day
The Parco del Valentino at the Piani Resinelli
A walkway suspended in mid-air above Lake Lecco, half an hour's easy walk through the woods.
Photo: Mario Falcetti, CC BY 4.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Casargo_Alpe_Paglio_-_Pian_delle_Betulle.jpg)
1 day
Pian delle Betulle
The ‘last paradise’ of the Alta Valsassina: no cars, two hundred birch trees and a little church by a small lake.
Photo: Mmontulli, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Villa_Arconati_ovest.jpg)
1 day
Villa Arconati, Milan’s Versailles
A pleasure villa of the Milanese nobility, open on Sundays from April to December.
Photo: Benediktv, CC BY 2.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lavertezzo-_Ponte_dei_Salti_(9135803079).jpg)
1 day
Val Verzasca
A wild valley in Switzerland, with emerald-green water and pools where you can swim.
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Castillo_de_Vezio,_Varenna,_Italia,_2016-06-25,_DD_01.jpg)
1 day
In search of the dragon
The dragon Tarantasio, the Visconti Biscione and the Lariosauro: a dragon hunt between Milan and the lake.
Photo: Teonzio, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Margno_-_Pian_delle_Betulle_-_2023-09-24_07-22-43_003.jpg)
2 days
Foliage, porcini and cheeses
Three days among the autumn colours of the Valsassina, with three trattorias serving seasonal produce.
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