GO ITALY:Poets and writers have waxed lyrical about the enchanting beauty and calm serenity of Lake Como. MICHAEL PARSONSis suitably impressed
WHEN TRAVELLING in Italy one should always ask for a room with a view. There really is so much to see. And few sights can match the scenes revealed by drawing back the curtains and looking out at Lake Como.
“This lake exceeds anything I ever beheld in beauty” was how the Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley reacted. His description has been quoted ever since by travel writers and tourism officials. (Although he was spot on, few bother to reveal the second half of his famous sentence: “. . . with the exception of the arbutus islands of Killarney”.)
Thanks to Shelley and other writers, both resorts became immensely fashionable during the Victorian period, and both enjoyed visits by the Great White Queen. The Italian destination has, of course, incomparably better weather. And, like its neighbouring lakes Garda and Maggiore, it has long been a firm favourite with the Irish.
Lago di Como, as the locals refer to it, is Italy’s third-largest lake. It is situated northeast of Milan, is shaped like an inverted Y and is 46km long. It is overlooked by the Alps, which remain snowcapped even in summer, and is one of the world’s most photogenic places.
But it was Shelley’s wife, Mary, the Frankenstein novelist, who wrote the most accurate description of the lake’s scenery during her stay at the Grande Albergo di Cadenabbia in the early 1840s. “I wish I could by my imperfect words bring before you not only the grander features, but every minute peculiarity, every varying hue, of this matchless scene. The progress of each day brings with it its appropriate change. When I rise in the morning and look out, our own side is bathed in sunshine, and we see the opposite mountains raising their black masses in sharp relief against the eastern sky, while the dark shadows are flung by the abrupt precipices on the fair lake beneath. This very scene glows in sunshine later in the day, till at evening the shadows climb up, first darkening the banks, and slowly ascending till they leave exposed the naked summits alone, which are long gladdened by the golden radiance of the sinking sun, till the bright rays disappear, and, cold and grey, the granite peaks stand pointing to the stars, which one by one gather above.”
The shore is dotted with remarkably unspoilt and attractive towns – one lovelier than the next – and a vast number of hotels in every price bracket.
The rather un-Italian efficiency of services is probably due to the Swiss influence – the border is close by. A holiday here involves sightseeing using the excellent water-based public-transport system run by the state-controlled navigation company Gestione Navigazione Laghi.
If you dislike boats you can try the air- conditioned bus service that links the main towns and villages. The more energetic will enjoy the landscaped walking trails though some sublime scenery.
There’s a very wide range of hotels, from five-star palaces to more modest pensioni. Many Irish visitors opt for package holidays at three- and four-star hotels. Grand Hotel Cadenabbia is a popular choice.
Lake Como is a civilised, peaceful place not noted for its nightlife. This is a destination with particular appeal for older travellers. The languid days slip easily by and are best spent cruising the lake and visiting the enchanting towns. Everyone will find a favourite spot, but especially recommended are busy Bellagio, for its excellent shopping, sleepy Varenna, for gentle walking and to sit over a cappuccino watching Europe’s happiest ducks, magical Menaggio, for its atmospheric piazza and excellent gelaterias (or ice-cream parlours), and laid-back Lenno, for its Tuesday-morning market.
Como, the only city, is both chic and sophisticated while retaining the charming friendliness and sense of la dolce vita that make visiting Italy such a pleasure.
No matter what your religious beliefs, no visit to Italy should be undertaken without visiting some of the marvellous art-filled churches. Highlights at Lake Como include the exquisite, flower-filled Oratory of Santa Maria at Menaggio, which has a shrine to Padre Pio, the beautiful frescoes in the church of San Giovanni at Lenno, and the awe-inspiring cathedral in Como itself.
A word about shopping. Most shops (except the very tourist-oriented) close at lunchtime and all morning on Mondays. The best products to buy are silk ties for men and scarves for women, for which the Lake Como area is renowned. There are dozens of “silk shops” offering very good value: men’s ties from €9 and women’s scarves from about €20. Murano glass jewellery is also widely available. Men will like the stylish shirts in Azalea, at 41 Salita Serbelloni in Bellagio.
Italians say that this month is the best time to visit Lake Como, but no matter when you go you’ll almost certainly be sorry to leave. As Mary Shelley put it as she prepared to depart: “I go unwillingly; I had thought such ecstasy as that in which I now was lapped dead to me for ever; but the sun of Italy has thawed the frozen stream – the cup of life again sparkles to the brim. Will it be removed as I turn northward? I fear it will. I grieve to think that we shall very soon leave Cadenabbia – the first sad step towards quitting Italy.”
Where to stay, where to eat and where to go
Where to stay
Grand Hotel Cadenabbia. 1 Via Regina, Cadenabbia di Griante, 00-39-0344-40418, grandhotelcadenabbia.it. This is a four-star hotel popular with Irish tour groups. Worth upgrading to a lake-view room. The hotel is next door to Villa Carlotta.
Villa d’Este. Cernobbio, 00-39-0313-48890, villadeste.it. A sumptuous villa that has been transformed into a glamorous hotel. The neighbouring villa is home to George Clooney. Prices are steep. A room for one night costs from about €650, with suites costing up to almost €2,000 per night.
Hotel Du Lac. 32 Piazza Mazzini, Bellagio, 00-39-0319-50320, bellagiohoteldulac.com. A charming, family-run three-star hotel in the pretty town of Bellagio, directly in front of the boat dock. The terrace is great for lunch and people-watching.
Where to eat
Many tourists eat in hotel restaurants, but there are plenty of options for those who want to dine out, from traditional pizzerias to ice-cream parlours that sell wonderful, often home-made, desserts. And you will never be far from a cafe selling excellent varieties of proper Italian coffee.
Places to look out for include:
Pasticceria Monti. 21 Piazza Cavour, Como, 00-39-0313-01165. This restaurant has a large shaded terrace overlooking the main square beside the harbour. Good for lunch or just a cappuccino before tackling the shops and sights of the city.
Locanda dell’Isola Comacina. Ossuccio, 00-39-0344-55083. This restaurant on the islet of Comacina has a set menu – no choices – that hasn’t changed since 1947. The meal, which costs €62, including wine, water and coffee, features dishes such as bresaola della Valtellina (air-dried beef), grilled trout, a chicken dish called rottami di pollo in padella and a dessert in which fresh fruit is sliced at your table.
Villa Carlotta. 2 Via Regina, Tremezzo, 00-39-0344-40405, www.villacarlotta.it. Visitors to this beautiful villa and magnificent gardens who need refreshments should try the attractive cafe situated in a converted glasshouse.
Where to go
Boat trips. A pass for the hop-on, hop-off boats serving the central area of Lake Como is good value at €11 per day. Among the prettiest towns are Bellagio, Lenno, Menaggio and Varenna.
Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta. Como, the major town on the lake, is worth visiting for its sumptuous cathedral, Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta, which is filled with wonderful stained glass, tapestries and paintings.
Shopping. The shops are excellent, but bear in mind that Como is one of the wealthiest and most expensive cities in Italy. A reasonably-priced option is the Coin department store (Via Pietro Boldini, 00-39-0312-65218), which is like an Italian MS.
Villa Carlotta. The Lake Como area is noted for its fabulous villas, the most famous of which is Villa Carlotta (2 Via Regina, Tremezzo, 00-39-0344- 40405, www.villacarlotta.it). Entry costs €8; children and senior citizens pay half. The house has an extraordinary collection of neoclassical sculptures by Canova, and the gardens are world class.
Go there
Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) flies to Milan from Dublin. Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies to Bergamo.