Just 25 miles from Milan and less than half an hour from Switzerland, Lake Como is an oasis of tranquillity, a magical combination of lush foliage and snowy alpine peaks.  The climate is generally mild providing Mediterranean summers and mild mountain winters.  Rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and olive groves flourish by the lakeside and lemon trees, date palms and other subtropical plants grow in sheltered areas.

There are attractive tourist resorts with cobbled streets, winding alleys lined with charming houses plus many gardens and fine country houses all along the lakeside.  The most popular of these are Bellagio, Tremezzo, Cadenabbia and Menaggio.

Lake Como is renowned for its exquisite villas and probably the most famous one is Villa del Balbianello  which was used in the 2006 Bond film, Casino Royale.  It is a combination of luxurious interiors (beautiful stuccos, lovely ceiling frescoes and a great art collection including an Eros and Psyche by Antonio Canova) and luxuriant gardens with over 500 species of plants, trees and shrubs from all over the world. 

If you get the opportunity to go to Varenna visit Villa Cipressi and Villa Monastero to see their beautiful terraced gardens cascading right down to the shores of the lake.

The Lake
Lake Como, is the third largest lake in Italy. with a perimeter totaling 105 miles (170 kilometers). With a depth of 1345 feet (410 meters), it is the deepest lake in Europe. It is also one of the most picturesque of the pre-alpine lakes. It lies in a valley scoured out by the ancient Adda glacier and is shaped like an upside-down Y, with three branches running from Colico in the north, Como in the south west and Lecco in the south east.

History
The civilized history of Lake Como dates back nearly 2000 years when it was discovered by the Greeks.  Back in the Greek days, it was not known as Lake Como, but Lake Larius as named by Julius Caesar around the first century A.D.  The area was a favourite resort of the Greeks, and its first city (located at present day Como) was named Novum Comum. 

The Franks invaded the lake area in the 8th century.  During the 12th century, Como battled numerous times with nearby Milan. 

Austrians also controlled Como for a few decades in the 1700’s and 1800’s, but in 1859, it became part of the Kingdom of Italy. 

Throughout history, artists, writers and actors have come to the lake for inspiration and much great work has been completed here. In the early 1800’s, Composer Franz Liszt completed his work “Dante Fantasia” here and Belini wrote his opera “Norma”.  

Although industrialization has touched the community, the factories have been built on the outskirts of town, leaving it a beautiful place to visit.

How to get there
Ryanair have flights going from both Alicante and Valencia to the closest airport which is Milan. Once you are there the roads are excellent, if a little narrow, and there are many hire car companies available, or you can catch a train from Milan to Como, Lecco and all the way down the east side. Once you are there a regular ferry service connects the towns on each side.