In that case, start with a few hours in Como, followed by a fast ferry to Bellagio. Plus, you could easily spend an additional 3-4 days exploring the wider surroundings along the shores of Lake Como. As you can see, the town center is quite compact and you can easily walk everywhere. Villa Olmo or Volta Lighthouse – will require a longer walk and more time to visit. However, those trips are meant to get you from point A to point B, and not so much to show you the nicest places. Taking a scenic boat trip on Lake Como is a great way to see the city and the surrounding areas from an entirely different perspective.
- It was originally built for the Marquis Innocenzo Odescalchi towards the end of the 18th century and named after an elm that stood in the center of the garden at that time.
- During that period its silk industry and wool trade played an important role in the Milanese economy.
- The journey only takes 7 minutes but it is hard to put into words quite how beautiful the scenery is as you ascend.
- Cernobbio is the starting point for a narrow, winding road up 1,310-meter Monte Bisbino to a pilgrimage church and panoramic views.
Another monument to native son Alessandro Volta, the Volta Lighthouse, stands atop a hill, and when it’s open you can climb to the top for even more sweeping views. With its proximity to Milan and Lugano and good transport connections (railway, highway, and ferries), Como can be a good place to stay when exploring the area for a few days. However, if the weather is nice and your time is limited, there are so many other amazing places to see on Lake Como!
The civic museum has archaeological collections, and there is also a museum of the Risorgimento (the 19th-century movement for Italian political unity). We started off with cómo, whose main use is as a question word, usually translated as how. We also saw that cómo is sometimes used as an exclamation or an interjection, whether on its own or as an element in expressive phrases.
Say It like a Local
The funicular is also a gateway to the mountain trails and is a major hiking hub. If you have a couple of hours to spare, a two-hour climb from Brunate brings you to the summit of Monte Boletto. It’s worth the walk from the center to see this exceptional example of an early 11th-century basilica built in the Lombard Romanesque style.
Basilica di Sant’Abbondio
Completed in the 1960s, this reinforced concrete structure is shaped like a ship and dedicated to Our Lady of the Miracle, the protector of mariners in distress. In 1400 the Duke of Milan – Ludovico Sforza – decided to plant mulberry trees around Lake Como to feed them. At that point, the Como silk industry was born, although production methods at the time were laboriously slow. For practical information about visiting the museum, see the official website. You can’t really miss the adjacent gardens, Giardini del Tempio Voltiano. This is a lovely place to sit for a while and admire the museum’s neoclassical architecture.
As an interrogative in direct questions
- The highlight is the garden, though, so don’t be too disappointed if you miss a house tour.
- Chiesa di San Giacomo is a little church located just next to the cathedral.
- In Lake Como’s mildest spot, the Tremezzina Riviera, foliage remains green all winter, so it’s no wonder one of Italy’s most famous gardens is here.
- Its elegant old town – enclosed by 12th-century fortress walls – is steeped in history and abundant in medieval architecture.
It falls into the category of a direct question like we saw above, with cómo clearly acting as a question word. While the easy translation of cómo in English is how, sometimes the better translation can be other options such as what or why. This basically comes down to the way the questions are formed in the two languages.
Map of the best places to see in Como city
In addition, you can find some nice food tours and cooking classes, which are really nice to do if you have a few hours to spare in Como. In a country famous for its churches, you can probably imagine that there are many more churches to see in Como than just the main cathedral. Indeed, there are numerous churches in Como city where you can admire the beautiful architecture and religious artwork.
Palatial Villa d’Este, built for an English queen and now a luxury hotel, sets a high standard for lake villas, with terraced gardens climbing the steep hill behind it. The rest of the town isn’t quite so grand, but it has a nice holiday air, some chic shops (look especially for Como silks), and several outstanding Art Nouveau villas. Villa Olmo is one of Como’s most popular attractions and one of the most beautiful villas of Lake Como. This splendid villa is located on the lakeshore in the northwestern part of the city.
Brunate Funicular & Viewpoints
With its wide, flat streets, Como is far easier to explore than many of the small, neighboring towns and villages. Plus, it is well-connected in terms of transport, making it a popular choice as a base from which to explore all the nicest places on Lake Como. “Como” when used with an orthographic accent (“cómo”), refers to an adverb. Just as we saw with indirect questions, we still need to use the accented cómo when there’s some implicit question in the statement.
It’s also the best way to admire the stunning scenery along the shores of Lake Como. In addition to the views from the hill, you can also climb the spiral staircase (143 steps) to the top of the lighthouse itself. It has since been restored to its former splendor and has been maintained by the municipality of Como since 1925.
A funicular from the east end of the lakefront saves the steep climb up to the terrace settlement of Brunate, almost directly above Como. The views encompass the town and the southern lake, backed by mountains. Climb higher to reach a terrace (with a conveniently placed café) looking to the north, across a different panorama of lake and mountain views. As you can see, there is plenty to see and do in Como city so you can easily fill a day in town and its immediate surroundings. But you can also just visit for a few hours or stay for a few days – it really depends on your overall travel itinerary. There are lots of really good restaurants in the city where you can try all kinds of regional and local specialties.
Boat Trips
This is similar to the English modifiers of around, about, or kind of. It’s also a good Spanish equivalent to the English expression like for introducing vagueness. This use of como differs from the previous one, in that we’re not making a comparison. Instead, we’re using it to introduce a manner in which something can be done.
Be sure to include it as part of your stroll through the city and you can also see the statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi that stands nearby. Dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the cathedral is laid out in a typical ‘cross’ style, with a nave and side aisles leading to a transept beneath the dome. The dome is quite beautiful and has a top lantern with many windows to flood the cathedral with light. The result is a wonderful blend of architectural styles, including a Gothic facade, a Romanesque bell tower, and a Baroque dome. Indeed, Duomo di Como is considered to be one of northern Italy’s most beautiful monuments. The many flowerbeds and blossoming trees lend color to the streets whilst como hacer una aplicacion web con python the city’s atmosphere is laid-back, with plenty of cozy cafes where you can sit and enjoy a slice of local life.