Town
Bellagio
Lake Como · Lombardy
QUICK INFORMATION
- CATEGORY
- Town
- COUNTRY
- Italy
- REGION
- Lake Como · Lombardy
- DURATION
- 1–2 days
ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION
Bellagio is the village on the promontory where Lake Como’s three arms meet, and the lake’s most famous resort. Its steep cobbled lanes climb from the water through pastel houses, cafés and silk shops to the gardens of Villa Melzi and Villa Serbelloni above, and the views from its tip take in both branches of the lake and the Alps beyond. It has been a resort since the 19th century, when the European aristocracy built villas along its shore, and it remains the place most visitors picture when they think of the lake.
HISTORY & BACKGROUND
The story behind it
Bellagio was a Roman settlement, and by the Middle Ages it was a fishing village on the ducal lands of Milan. Its modern life began in the early 19th century, when the writer Melchiorre Gioia and then the aristocracy of Europe discovered the lake and began building villas along its shore. Villa Melzi was built for Francesco Melzi d’Eril, Napoleon’s vice-president of the Italian Republic, in 1808–1810; Villa Serbelloni, above it, hosted the European royals and writers who made Bellagio fashionable. The village has been a resort ever since, and the car ferries that link it to Varenna and Menaggio make it the natural hub of the lake.
WHAT TO SEE
What to see here
The promontory tip — the view from the point where the lake’s three arms meet, the classic Lake Como panorama.
Villa Melzi and its gardens — the early-19th-century villa with its Japanese pond, azaleas and sculpture along the shore.
The cobbled lanes — the Salita Serbelloni and the alleys climbing from the harbour to the upper town.
Villa Serbelloni — the grand villa above the village, whose gardens are visited on guided tours run by the Rockefeller Foundation.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
Bellagio is the village that defines Lake Como for most visitors, because it sits at the very point where the lake’s geography is most dramatic — the meeting of the three arms, framed by the Alps. Its villas and gardens are the record of the 19th-century aristocratic discovery of the lake, and its lanes are the most photographed streets on the water. For a visitor, it is the natural base and the natural viewpoint of the lake.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before you go
MAP & LOCATION
Bellagio
Bellagio, Lake Como, Lombardy, Italy
45.9878, 9.2617
MORE ATTRACTIONS
More to see in Lake Como
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THINGS TO DO
Things to do nearby
FOOD & DRINK
Where to eat nearby
Trattoria San Giacomo — a beloved local trattoria in Bellagio for lake fish and risotto, no reservations
Ristorante La Vista — the terrace restaurant at Hotel Albergo Milano in Varenna, with lake views and refined cooking
Al Prato — a quiet garden restaurant in Bellagio for modern Italian cooking, book ahead
Vecchia Varenna — a canal-side trattoria in Varenna for traditional lake cooking
Gatto Nero — a family-run restaurant on the Brunate hill above Como, with the view and the cooking to match
HOTELS & STAYS
Where to stay nearby
Grand Hotel Tremezzo — a grand lakeside hotel at Tremezzo with a floating pool and gardens, opposite Bellagio
Hotel Florence — a charming hotel in the centre of Bellagio, with a garden and a restaurant
Albergo Milano — a family-run hotel in Varenna with lake-view rooms and a terrace restaurant
Hotel Du Lac — a simple, well-placed hotel on the Varenna waterfront, good value
NEARBY DESTINATIONS
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