Lake Como, Italy

Lake Como is a glacial lake in Lombardy, northern Italy, renowned for its inverted Y-shape, dramatic Alpine backdrop and luxurious villas.

Lake Como

Lake Como measures about 90 square miles in area (146 square kilometers) with a maximum depth over 1,300 feet (410 meters). The lake extends roughly 28.5 miles long (46 kilometers). Surrounding mountains rise above 6,500 feet (2,000 meters).

Glaciers carved the lake during the last Ice Age, with human settlement dating to Roman times when Julius Caesar founded Novum Comum in 59 BC. It served as a strategic retreat for aristocracy through the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and beyond, hosting villas built by Milanese nobility and later attracting figures like Virgil and Pliny. The 19th-century silk industry boomed here, tying into nearby Como’s textile heritage, while today it draws tourists for its cultural sites and film locations.

From Lugano, Switzerland we had a scenic ride along Lake Lugano to Lake Como, Italy. We stopped at the town of Menaggio on the west shore of Lake Como.

Bellagio

There, our small group boarded a medium-length boat to explore Bellagio, Italy on the eastern side of Lake Como.

As the boat drew closer, the town revealed itself—terracotta roofs cascading down the hillside, narrow cobbled steps, and bursts of color from pink geraniums spilling over iron balconies.

There were boutique stores specializing in high-quality Italian scarves, shawls and silk products from nearby Como, a historic silk production hub.

Sandy Huntley, Lake Como, Bellagio, Church, Italy

Summers here are warm and pleasant, winters can be cold and damp with occasional light snow. The economy is heavily dependent on tourism. Airbnb’s have exploded in the area. There has been a 25% drop in local population over the last 35 years.