Bellagio, „the pearl of Lake Como“, is a small local authority at Lake Como in Italy with about 3000 citizens. It is located on the picturesque peninsula that splits Lake Como into two arms; one to Como and one to Lecco.
Most visitors arrive via boat. It is the most popular holiday destination at Lake Como. It was a stop on our boat tour of Lake Como as well. The view of the town from the lake is marvellous. Wonderfully preserved old houses characterise the townscape.
People pour off the boat into the city. Some are just looking for their connecting boat. Others make haste to get to the wonderful but very expensive high street or to somewhere to dine. Most visitors leave the place after only a brief stopover without really appreciating its beauty. This is such a shame as there is so much more to see. A lovely park, for example, with spots in the shade to rest.
The city centre has been around since the middle ages. It has hidden alleys and staircases, pergolas and arcades to be discovered. Fantastic mansions, palaces and parks were created in the 19th century that were frequented by the high aristocracy of Europe. Most of them are privately owned today and sadly can not be visited.
We stayed off the trodden path and explored the quieter areas of Bellagio. This led us to the side of town facing the arm of the lake that goes towards Lecco. There are only a few spots that allow going down to the water as there are many fantastic properties with private water access in this area.
Attentive observers will spot many pretty houses along this quiet stretch of the banks of the lake that characterise the townscape.
For us, this excursion was really worthwhile because we didn’t follow the established tourist paths.
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