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Lecco and Como

Como and Lecco have the elegant soul of lakeside cities, combined with the liveliness of small towns where you will always feel welcome. They are both easy to get to from Bellagio by car, by bus or using the scheduled boat service. Choose which one to visit in a day!

Technical information

Walking time: About 1 day

Starting point: Bellagio

Seightseen and points of interest included in the itinerary:

Lecco
Como

Information:

The Manzoni Museum in Lecco is open every day except Mondays, 1 January, Easter, 1 May, 25 and 26 December. Special openings on Easter Monday and public holiday Mondays.
Villa Manzoni is open on Tuesdays from 10 am to 2 pm, and is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. Closed on Mondays. Extraordinary closing times: 1 January, Easter, 1 May, 25 and 26 December. Extraordinary opening times: Easter Monday.
The Moto Guzzi Museum in Mandello del Lario is open for guided tours (booking required) from Monday to Thursday, from 3 pm to 4.30 pm, while admission is free on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 am to 6 pm.
Villa Olmo in Como is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. The park is always open.
The Como-Brunate Funicular railway is always active from 6 am to 10.30 pm and it runs until midnight on Saturdays and during the summer.

Description

“That branch of Lake Como that extends southwards…”, namely Lecco, is the stopping place on this day. The quiet town has a permanent bond with Alessandro Manzoni and so it is no coincidence that you can follow an itinerary through the most iconic places mentioned in “The Betrothed”: the Manzoni Museum, the exteriors of Don Rodrigo’s Palace and the house of Lucia, and the Castle of the Unnamed in Vercurago. Lecco, however, is also a place for relaxing, walking along the lakeside and in the pretty historic centre, or enjoying outdoor activities such as kitesurfing and windsurfing, running and cycling along the Adda tourist cycle path. Other places of interest are the Planetarium, Palazzo delle Paure and Palazzo Belgioioso. Motorcycling enthusiasts can’t miss a visit to the headquarters of the legendary Moto Guzzi in Mandello del Lario, with the adjoining museum, which contains prototypes, historical models, original engines and mechanical components.

Otherwise, you can visit Como, with its beautiful historic centre featuring arcades, shops and historic buildings. Como is a little town that still has the grace of a village, especially when you find yourself walking along the pretty cobbled, silent little alleyways in the town centre. Among the places to see are the Cathedral, the Silk Museum, the Volta Temple, the Paolo Giovio Archaeological Museum, the Basilica of San Fedele and the Casartelli Science Museum. In Como, you can also follow a Rationalist Itinerary, which includes the house of the Futurist Sant’Elia, the Casa del Fascio, the Novocomum, the War Memorial, Hotel Posta and Hotel MetropoleSuisse.

Passing along the lakeside, on the other hand, you come to Villa Olmo, surrounded by an immense park overlooking the lake with horse chestnut trees, Lebanese cedars and plane trees. Don’t miss the Duke’s Hall, before returning to Bellagio and climbing onto the nineteenth-century Como-Brunate Funicular railway, to admire the splendid view you can enjoy from the small village.