Surroundings & trips

A holiday at holiday park Sole Mio is perfect for visiting one or more villages and towns that are located around Lake Como or that are located in the surrounding area. Below you will find a number of places that are nice to visit. In addition, a few longer trips are described that you could make by car. Each bungalow has an extensive folder where you can find more information. Of course you can also get all kinds of tips from the park staff about the area.

CITYTRIPS

Domaso
A nice and cozy fishing village about 5 km from Gera Lario.

Colico
10 minutes by car across the lake. Colico has a pleasant boulevard with restaurants and ice cream parlors. A Centro-Nautico for boats, accessories and petrol refueling. It also features a train station which is a good starting point for train trips to Milan, Sondrio and Bergamo. Colico has every Friday morning a good fruit and vegetable market on Friday mornings (behind the station).

Abbazia di Piona
This old Abbey is located on the private grounds of the priests and is situated directly at the lake. The road through Colico will bring you to this sightseeing spot. In the monastery you can buy various liqueurs from their own distillery. Look for the opening times of the abbey and the abbey shop on the website: www.abbaziadipiona.it.

Bellano
Sweet little village, from a deep gorge (orrido)  waterfalls and mountain streams flow towards and into Lake Como. Bellano has an historic center with narrow alleys and squares. The old 14th century gothic church SS Nazaro e Celso is the most important building in Bellano.

Varenna
This is a atmospheric fishing village about a half hour driving from Sole Mio on the east side of the lake. Accessible via the Superstrada (SS) 36 Milano / Lecco, exit Bellano. Then follow the signs for Varenna and in Varenna immediately after the bridge turn right towards the lake. Every Wednesday morning market at the port. A romantic pedestrian promenade leads you alongside Lake Como. The narrow stairways all lead to the old fishing harbor. Whilst walking all the way along the lake you will come to two beautiful villas, of which the Villa Monastera in particular has a breathtakingly beautiful garden, which stretches along the lake for a kilometer. Open from May to September from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. and 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Good restaurants and a nice terrace at Hotel au Lac.

Bellagio
Many tourists visit this lovely village, which is located at the shores of Lake Como and is build on the slopes of  the hills. Steep alleys lead you to all kind of shops (among which several handcraft shops) and restaurants and the San-Giacomo church.

TIP: go to Varenna by car and take the boat to Bellagio.

Lecco
30 minutes by car via the Superstrada 36 at the eastside of Lake Como. City with over 60,000 inhabitants. Beautiful old squares and churches, many shops and department stores.

Dongo
Fairly active and quite a large place with a big market. In 1945, in the neighboring village of Musso, the Mussolini group was arrested and detained in Palazzo Manzi.

Gravedona
Nice fishing village with a buzzing market, 10 minutes by car from Sole Mio. There is a large firework every year on 14^th of August.

Menaggio
Nice pedestrian boulevard. Opportunity to cross by boat to Bellagio, but if desired also possible by car.

Tremezzo
A touristic village with Villa Carlotta as one of the important attractions. With its famous trees, plants and flower garden. In April and May you can enjoy the blooming azaleas and rhododendrons. The villa is open from 9 am to 6 pm from April to September. Recommended!

Pianello di lario
Here you will find a Boat Museum with all the boats that once sailed Lake Como (Lario).

Cernobbio
Here you will find many villas with great parks open for public. The best known is Villa d’Este, listed on the UNESCO world heritage list, which dates back to 1568, now one of the best hotels in the world and host of the annually car show “Concorso d’Eleganza”.

Como
Como is the main city at Lake Como. With approximately 100,000 inhabitants, it has several beautiful buildings, churches, towers, markets (several times per week) and restaurants. If you take the mountain train to Brunate you will see beautiful panoramas. The beautiful Dom is worth a visit as is Villa dell ’Olmo. Approximately one hour away by car. From Colico you can also travel by water with the Aliscafo (hydrofoil) in one hour to Como. For timetables see www.navigazionelaghi.it.

Onno
Church of the Madonna del Ghissalo, protector of the cyclists. Drive via Lecco towards Bellagio. In Onno, take the road to Asso, where the church is signposted. In the church you will find many bicycles and jerseys of famous riders like Coppi, Merckx, Gimondi, Moser and Roche.

Isola Comacina
The only island in Lake Como. It is approximately 600 meters long and 200 meters wide and covered with olive trees. At the end of June / beginning of July the “Festa del Lago” is celebrated with many boats and costumes.

Milan
From Sole Mio you can easily visit this beautiful prosperous city for a day. Of course you can go by car, but it is also easy to take the train (starting point Colico): cheap, no parking problems and no traffic problems.

You can leave from Colico, on the other side of the lake. Free parking space at Centro-Nautico (turn right towards the harbor and then right again, past Restaurant Faro. Walk back through the pedestrian tunnel to the station in a few minutes). You can choose between a 2nd class return trip (andata e ritorno) or a day ticket (carta turistica, including bus, tram or metro access). Stamp right next to the counter. From Milano Central you can reach the city center by taxi, bus, tram or metro. You can walk to the center in about 40 minutes across Corso Buenos Aires, a very nice shopping street. You also pass the Omniversum city park and the museum for natural history.

You can buy tickets for the tram and bus at tobacconists’ annex bars (tabacchi). There is always such a tabacchi store near a stop. The tickets for the metro are sold at the entrance of each metro station. Returning to Sole Mio: on train station Milano Central depart from platform Sondrio / Tirano; don’t forget to stamp on the platform again. For train information look at www.trenord.it. The park staff can also inform you about the departure and arrival times.

CAR TRIPS

Below you will find a number of car trips of different lengths that are very worthwhile.

Gera – Chiavenna – direction Spluga – Campodolcina – Madesimo.
In Madesimo you can ski from November 1^st  to the end of April. It is a quiet skivillage with beautiful slopes. Very nice to enjoy for non-skiers too. This place features several restaurants at the Lago Azurro (1.850 meters) accessible via the chairlift and on the Colmenetta (2.890 meters) accessible by a gondola lift. Distance from Gera Lario is 80 km.

Gera – Lecco (superstrada) – Bergamo
In Bergamo follow the signs “Citta alta” (with the cog railway uphill: good parking). Many people see Bergamo as one of the most beautiful cities in northern Italy! With children, a visit to nearby Minitalia on the E13 / A4 (Capriate S. Gervasio) is worthwhile. Total kilometers of this trip is approximately 150 km.

Gera – Morbengo – Tirano – Bernina Pass – St. Moritz (Switzerland) – Malojapas – Chiavenna – Gera. Distance of the total trip about 210 km (bring passports!).

Gera – Colico (Lungholago) – Varenna – Lecco – Erba – Como – Menaggio – Dongo – Gera. Distance approx. 145 km.

Gera – Menaggio – Porlezza – Lugano (Switzerland) – Mendrisio – Chiasso – Cernobbio – Menaggio – Gera. Distance approx. 160 km. (bring passports!).

Gera – Colico – Varenna – car ferry to Bellagio – car ferry to Cadenabbia – Menaggio – Gera. Distance approx. 65 km.

Gera – Morbegno – Val Gerola – Gerola Alto – Morbegno – Gera. Distance approx. 60 km.

Gera – Morbegno – after Morbegno another 2 km, after bridges turn left to Bagni di Masimo. Wonderful trip! Distance from about 80 km.

Gera – Morbegno – Sondrio – Chiesa (in Valmalenco). Gondola lift to Sassa Alto at 2.336 meters altitude

Gera – Chiavenna – direction St. Moritz, turn left to Soglio (breathtaking view; car-free village) – Malojapass – Silvaplana – Corvatsch-gletcher (3.500 meters) gondola. Distance about 90 km (bring passports!).

Livigno
A beautiful winter sports area but also worthwhile in the summer. It is called “Little Tibet”. Livigno is a tax free village.

Route to Livigno: Sorico – Skt. Moritz – Bernina. Halfway through Skt. Moritz-Bernina turn left to Livigno. Approximately 2 hours drive, bring passports! Please note: strict customs check!