City trips – Cities around Lake Como
Enjoy cities around Lake Como
The Sole Mio bungalow park is an excellent base for visiting places on and around Lake Como. The cities of Bergamo, Como, Lecco, Milan and St. Moritz can all be reached within an hour and a half both by car and by public transport (train, bus or boat). If you have enjoyed a day out to one of these cities, you can relax afterwards and enjoy the peace and space in the park.
Como
Como is located 55 km from the park. The city has good parking facilities. We recommend a visit by boat or bus that will take you to the historic city center with beautiful churches, an old city wall and city tower. Como is a city known for its silk production. The old town center is located directly on the lake and offers the opportunity to take a nice walk along the lake. From the center of Como you can take the train (the “Funicolare”) to Branate where you can enjoy a beautiful panorama of the city and the lake above.
Bergamo & Lecco
Bergamo The city of Bergamo (about 90 km) consists of two different cities, the Citta Bassa (low city) and the Citta Alta (high city). Many people call Bergamo the most beautiful city in northern Italy. In the old, medieval Citta Alta you will find many historic sights including the 16th century city walls. In the modern Citta Basso you will find pleasant shopping streets, many restaurants and bars. The train arrives in the “high city”, after which you can descend to the “low city” with a cable car straight through the fortress wall. Bergamo offers a multitude of churches and museums. You can really enjoy the Italian life by having lunch in one of the rustic Trattoria in the city. See the site www.in-lombardia.com for more info.
Lecco (at 47 km) is the largest city on the lake after Como. The city lends itself to beautiful walks along the lake and to your heart’s content shopping in the pleasant shopping streets. In lesser weather, a visit to the indoor shopping center is recommended. Lecco is the city of the famous Italian writer Manzoni who wrote, among other things, “The fiancés” (“l promessi sposi).
Milan city trip
Milan is 110 kilometers from Gera Lario, a good one and a half hour drive by car, but can also easily be reached by train from Colico. Milan is the city of the newest and latest fashion, Leonardo da Vinci, the Duomo and the football stadium of AC Milan and Inter Milan. To visit the various sights in the city it is best to travel by metro. The city parks such as Giardini Pubblici and the artists’ district of Brera let you enjoy the many beautiful things that the city has to offer.
Pearls of Lake Como
There are numerous other places on the lake that are worth exploring, such as the famous Cernobbio with its impressive Villa d’Este, a 16th century Renaissance villa that is now used as a very luxurious hotel.
The picturesque Varenna is also an absolute must with its rustic harbor and the many old villas including Villa Venini with an orthological museum that gives an overview of the birds that occur in the area.
Partly due to its unique location at the top of the headland, Bellagio is the absolute “pearl of the lake” and is a top tourist attraction that can best be visited by boat. Walking through the old center, past the villas and churches, time seems to stand still.
But also Colico with its military fortresses (Forte di Fuentes) is worth a visit. You can stroll along the boulevard where you will find many bars and restaurants and you can enjoy typical regional dishes and excellent, locally produced wines.
Visit Switzerland
Because Sole Mio is close to the Swiss border, the cities of Lugano and St. Moritz offer a great opportunity for a day trip to Switzerland.
In addition to the city of villas and grand buildings, Lugano is famous for its many parks with subtropical flowers and plants. The unique Bernina route (www.myswissalps.com) goes from Tirano to Lugano and thus goes right past the Sole Mio holiday park, a great opportunity to travel to Lugano by bus.
St. Moritz is a city in the Alps where you get to by car over the Maloja pass and along the beautiful Lake Silvaplana. A nice day trip with breathtaking views that is definitely recommended in all seasons of the year!
For further information about:
- Italian trains: www.trenitalia.com
- Ideas about culture, hiking and sports: www.lakecomo.it