Villa Troubetzkoy owes its name to the Russian prince Alexander Troubetzkoy, married to the great dancer Maria Taglioni. Veteran of six years of hard labour in Siberia, inflicted by the Zar for attempted insurrection, Prince moved to Blevio. So he brought down a pre-existing rural construction starting work on their own villa. As many rocks crowded the shore where the prince wished their home, he demolished many rocks with mines to level the ground more quickly, earning the nickname for this prince “Disturbs rocks“.

Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como is a sanctuary of calm, nestled on the sunny forest shores of Lake Como. 19th Century Villa Roccabruna is at the heart of the resort and skilfully renovated to create a sense of modern Italian elegance with a subtle oriental charm.

Villa Taverna is set in a panoramic location in the village of Perlasca, between Blevio and Torno. It was built by Count Paolo Taverna at the end of the eighteenth century. Taverna’s family then rented the villa to Francesco Melzi, who lived there while working on the construction of the nearby Villa Melzi. In the nineteenth century the property was sold to the noble family Poldi Pezzoli, who enlarged it with the addition of two symmetrical wings connected to the main building by galleries. Later, the house was sold in 1941 to Trivulzio’s and to Gerli’s family. In Villa Taverna a large number of prominent personalities spent their sojourns.

Villa Pliniana was built in 1573 around the spring that carries the same name. The name “Pliniana” is inspired to the famous naturalists native of Como, Plinio the Elder and Plinio the Younger, whom, first described the spring and its peculiar intermittence in the first century A.D. The construction of the villa is due to the will of Count Giovanni Anguissola, governor of Como, whom decided to transform the spring and the surrounding land in a place of delight. The villa hosted Napoleon, Stendhal, opera composers as Bellini, Rossini and Liszt. Villa Pliniana is now part of the American group Sereno Properties and is an exclusive luxury resorts.

Nesso Nesso is halfway along the road that connects Como with Bellagio. Doubtless is one of the most peculiar villages on Lake Como. The characteristic of Nesso is the Orrido. It is a beautiful waterfall coming down from the mountain into the lake. The best way to admire this corner of paradise is approaching it by boat. You will be able to enjoy the power of the water almost touching it by your hands.

Comacina Island it was formerly a Roman fort and then a medieval settlement. It is the only island on Lake Como, it forms with the lakeshore a small and peaceful bay. You can visit the ruins following a walk through the woods but you have to pay an entrance ticket. Obviously, you can get to the island by ferry or private boat. La Locanda dell’Isola is a famous restaurant where you can taste the local specialities.

Definitely the most spectacular places on Lake Como is Villa Balbianello. It is located on a promontory overlooking the whole lake and its architecture is perfectly integrated with nature. Now known to be the Lake Como Star Wars Villa, Villa Balbianello was originally a monastery. It was the home of cardinals and noble families. The villa inside is a museum with souvenirs from worldwide. The villa owner was Monzino a famous explorer, so a lot of souvenirs from his explorations are exposed in it . The villa is also famous because many scenes from the film Star Wars Episode II were shot there. In 2006 it was also the location set for the film James Bond Casino Royale. Today the villa is part of the Italian Environmental Fund; the gardens and the interior of the villa can be visited paying a ticket. The villa can also be rented for private events and weddings. If you want live one of the most romantic experience of your life please make sure to arrive to the villa with a private boat.

This beautiful lake residence has been restored in the early 1920s by engineer Carlo Mantegazza, and it is famous today for the privacy it can give to its guests: the villa is in fact reachable exclusively by boat. Giacomo Mantegazza continued with the modernisation work started by his father, making Villa La Cassinella one of the most amazing buildings on Como Lake. The magazine Forbes inserted Villa le Cassinelle among the most beautiful villas in the world for the holidays. The four buildings composing La Cassinella can host up to 20 guests, but nothing is knew about the priviledged ones.An air of mistery also surrounds the real owner of La Cassinella: in a recent article published by La Provincia di Como there was the name of the manager. Richard Branson, the British enterpreneur who owns the Virgin Group, was supposed to be the owner of the villa. He denied that some time ago: “Me? The owner of Villa La Cassinella? Wishing it were true…”.

It is in the centre of the lake and divides the east from the west branch. It is a picturesque location and the most famous village in Lake Como. Bellagio name derives from the Latin bi-lacus – “between the lakes”: Bellagio is, in fact, located on the promontory that divides the two branches of the lake. It is characterised by alleys full of typical shops climbing up the promontory. Villa Melzi and Villa Serbelloni are the two famous villas open to public that are located here. The road from Como to Bellagio is scenic but particularly narrow and busy so it takes about an hour by car to get to Bellagio although it is only 30 km away from Como.

Built by Duke Melzi in the 1800s, Villa Melzi can be reached on foot from the centre of Bellagio. The interior of the villa is closed, but you can visit it enormous and beautiful garden.

Originally built by the noble Serbelloni family, the villa is now part of the Rockefeller foundation. You can visit the park of Villa Serbelloni exclusively with a guide and takes about two hours. Getting the extreme point that divides the two branches of the lake walking into the park watching native and exotic vegetation is a gorgeous experience.

Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni e Villa Funny A noble family from Bergamo: Count Frizzoni built this beautiful and luxurious holiday villa on 1850. In 1873 significant funds were invested in extending the villa and turning it into the Grand Hotel Bellagio. It was an instant success and nobility from all over the world came to stay. Arturo Bucher, grandson of the Swiss entrepreneur and luxury hotel pioneer Franz Josef Bucher, bought the hotel in 1918. In 2018 the Bucher family celebrates 100 years and 4 generations at the helm of the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni. The Villa Fanny in Bellagio, located on the Punta di Bellagio on Lake Como, is a historic villa that has had several owners over the years. In 1907 the villa was acquired by the Grand Hotel Bellagio and in 1929 it was sold to Artur Bucher, owner of the Hotel. It was later purchased by an Italian steel magnate and later by Russian millionaire Arkady Novikov in 2008. The villa is currently owned by the Guido family.

Varenna is a beautiful village on Lake Como, situated in the Lecco branch of the lake. It is rich in art and history treasures. The village is dominated by The Castle of Vezio situated in Top of the mountain behind the beautiful port surrounded by little coloured houses. Villa Cipressi and Villa Monastero are two beautiful villas that it is possible to visit. Villa Monastero is famous for its big botanic garden. A romantic Lovers’ walk runs along the shores of this fabulous little village.

The Orrido di Bellano is the main tourist attraction of the town and one of the most important of Lake Como. This is a natural gorge created 15 million years ago by the erosion of the River Pioverna and the Adda glacier which, over the centuries, have shaped the rock into gigantic potholes, dark ravines and suggestive caves. The narrow canyon can be visited thanks to a system of footbridges anchored on the high walls overlooking the water, perfectly illuminated in the evening where the charm of the place takes on different nuances, and that recently have been extended to reach the large waterfall located further upstream.

Menaggio is a lovely village situated on the west coast of Lake Como. Villa Mylius Vigoni is an historical residence open to the public, located in Loveno, a menaggio hamlet, particularly loved over the centuries by artists and personalities. This splendid villa, together with the nearby Villa Garovaglio Ricci, is currently the Italian-German Centre for European Excellence, a laboratory of ideas, a meeting place and a place for comparison between Italy and Germany.

Tremezzo is a small little village which overlooks Bellagio. It is famous for two big villas, the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, a nice 5 star luxury hotel, and Villa Carlotta, a villa open to public, with a beautiful garden.

Built at the end of the seventeenth century by the Marquises Clerici of Milan, Villa Carlotta is famous for its fascinating botanical garden and for the collection of masterpieces by Canova, Hayez and Thorvaldsen. It is possible to visit the private rooms of Princess Charlotte of Sachsen-Meiningen who in the mid-nineteenth century received the Villa as a gift on the occasion of her wedding to George II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen.

Laglio village is famous because in this village is located Villa Oleandra the George Clooney house in Como. It is a beautiful Italian style and original one villa where George usually spends his summer holidays.

In Moltrasio there is Villa Fontanelle another very famous and beautiful estate, it was once Gianni Versace’s villa.

Villa d’Este is a wonderful 5-star hotels, one of the best in Italy. Built in the late 1500s, at the end of the 1800s it was converted into a hotel. Villa d’ Este has hosted the most famous politicians and actors of the world. With it classic style, it allows guests to experience an atmosphere of other times.

Villa Erba was built by the noble Erba family at the beginning of the 1900s. It is used for events and weddings and it is also an exhibition centre. A glass complex put in a huge park is used for large events and fairs. Normally it is closed to the public and you can visit the villa only on the occasion of special events. The villa can be admired by boat from the lake.