Bellagio: The Pearl of Lake Como

One thing you'll notice about Bellagio and the other mid-lake destinations (Varenna and Menaggio) is that there simply isn't a whole lot to do. It's a great place to relax and take in Lake Como's beautiful scenery for a couple of days before heading home after the typical whirlwind of museums, duomos, and shopping of central Italy. A surprising amount of shopping, however, can be had in Bellagio, including clothing, leather goods, jewelry, artwork, and of course, food and wine. The more extravagant shops are located on Piazza Mazzini and Lungolago Manzoni at the waterfront; head up the hill on one of the steep-stepped lanes away from the lake to shop with the locals. Some might consider Bellagio a bit touristy, but there are several dining alternatives and great scenery to make up for this potential shortcoming.

One must see activity in Bellagio is I giardini di Villa Melzi, a lakefront villa constructed from 1808-1810 which is surrounded by a stunning and meticulously maintained garden.

If you have the time, Lugano, Switzerland is a nice day trip from Bellagio.

Quick Tips:

There are several nice hotels to choose from in Bellagio, from the 5-star Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni on down. There are about five 3-star hotels, and about a half-dozen 2-star hotels. We highly recommend the 3-star Hotel Florence. You can check out their web site here.

Our favorite restaurants in Bellagio were either uphill from the touristy offerings of Piazza Mazzini or in the more sparsely populated Pescallo area. More expensive doesn't necessarily mean better here! Check out the dining recommendations in my journal for local restauranteurs offering outstanding regional cuisine.

If you are travelling by train to Bellagio from Milan, the one hour ride to Varenna-Esino followed by a 15-minute ferry ride is the most convenient connection; if you take a train to Como you'll have about a two-hour ferry ride waiting for you. See my free form entry for detailed info regarding travel from Milan to Bellagio, and from Bellagio to other mid-lake destinations and beyond.

Please check out my journals on Milan and Florence to read about our other two stops in Italy.

Best Way To Get Around:

For your time in Bellagio, all you will need is your feet and a comfortable pair of shoes, and the optional ferry ticket in case you want to check out Varenna or Menaggio. Departure times vary throughout the day, but boats depart roughly hourly between the three mid-lake villages of Bellagio, Varenna, and Menaggio, (less than 15 minutes per hop). Ferry schedules are posted at the docks near the ticket windows. A one way ferry ride is ITL4,800 (less than .50).

The Hotel Florence, (email hotflore@tin.it) is a very nice, family-owned 3-star hotel with 32 moderately priced rooms (double room ITL260,000 - 350,000) located right on Bellagio's waterfront. Our rustic, romantic room had a spectacular view of Lake Como. The hotel lounge, located just off of the front desk, is the oldest part of the hotel, dating back to the 18th century. Each evening the lounge had a cozy fire crackling in the fireplace, and we took advantage of the opportunity to enjoy a little reading there after dinner one night.

Our double room had a lake view and private bath, including a bidet and tub with a shower handle. The room had a very rustic feel (exposed log ceiling beams and homey, comfortable furniture) and was very clean. They also have rooms available with a lake view and private balcony, or with no view. Upon arrival, a nice little plate of assorted fresh fruit was on the desk in our room.

The Ketzlar family is extremely friendly and everyone speaks very good English. The hotel is open from April through October and accepts all major credit cards. You'll get an 8% discount if you pay in cash. This was probably the most enjoyable hotel stay I've ever had.

Bistro del Ritorno is located a short walk up the hill from Bellagio's main waterfront. From the east end of Piazza Mazzini, follow Via Roma as it winds its way uphill to Via E Vitali. While there's nothing about its atmosphere that makes Bistro del Ritorno stand out, the food is what distinguishes this hidden gem from the pack.

A wide array of antipasta, sandwiches, pasta, and pizza are available here, and everything we had was exceptional, making their inexpensively priced menu a raging bargain. It was easy for us to overlook the shortcomings of their beer list (you have your choice of Paulaner or Paulaner on tap here!). The owner is enthusiastic and passionate about food and is delighted if you enjoy his. My girlfriend Chris and I thoroughly enjoyed our dinner here. Our salads were great; Chris raved about her mushroom soup and I savored the best pizza on our entire trip to Italy: flavorful and perfectly baked, with a light, crispy crust.

Bistro del Ritorno has a nice terrace in front if you're inclined to enjoy your meal outdoors. Their signage indicates that they're open for lunch and dinner, but when we returned the next day for lunch we were disappointed to find that they were closed. We attribute this to the fact that we were in Bellagio in late October, the very end of the tourist season there. Bistro del Ritorno is a great value and its unassuming character is a welcome alternative to Bellagio's touristy restaurants on Piazza Mazzini.

Our 1-10 ratings:
Ken: Food - 8 Service - 7 Atmosphere - 6
Chris: Food - 8 Service - 8 Atmosphere - 6

Albergo Ristorante la Pergola is a quaint, cozy little restaurant located in the tiny 11-room Albergo Pergola. Arched ceilings, tiled floors, white tablecloths with dark wood, and pots hanging on the walls give the small dining room a romantic charm and ambiance. There is also a terrace dining area offering a scenic view of the lake. The wonderful dishes they cook here only add to the dining experience.

The restaurant offers a wide selection of local cuisine, including veal, perch, trout, and palenta dishes. We had salads for an appetizer, and I enjoyed the veal with mushroom sauce, while my girlfriend Chris loved the trout she ordered. We shared an order of formaggi (cheese) for dessert as we finished our wine.

La Pergola is located in the less travelled Pescallo di Bellagio area. From Piazza Mazzini, head up the hill on one of the stepped paths to Via Garibaldi. Walk uphill on Via Garibaldi to the paved path Salita Al Cappuccini, across from San Giorgio. Follow the path, first uphill and then downhill towards the shore. This is a very enjoyable walk during the day, but be aware that this path is steep and after dark it is dimly lit in a couple of places.

Our 1-10 ratings:
Ken: Food - 9 Service - 8 Atmosphere - 10
Chris: Food - 9 Service - 8 Atmosphere - 9.

Albergo Ristorante Europa (email: albeuropa@tiscalinet.it) offers excellent food and friendly service at reasonable prices. Our lunchtime pasta dishes were flavorful and perfectly cooked.

While this restaurant didn't quite reach the culinary heights of our two other favorite dining spots in Bellagio (Bistro del Ritorno and Albergo Ristorante la Pergola), we enjoyed our meal here and felt it was a good value. We would rather go back here than to one of the pricey tourist spots on Piazza Mazzini.

Our 1-10 ratings:
Ken: Food - 7 Service - 7 Atmosphere - 5
Chris: Food - 7 Service - 7 Atmosphere - 6.

I giardini di Villa Melzi was built by Francesco Melzi d'Eril, Vice President of the Italian Republic founded by Napoleon. He entrusted its design to Giocondo Albertolli, a famous architect who supervised its construction (1808-1810). The neoclassic villa, which was conceived as a summer residence and has held important political meetings, is surrounded by superb terraces, flower beds, funky sculptures, and sloping, meticulously maintained lawns. There is also a gazebo on the lakeshore of the grounds, which is described as a "coffee house" on the walking map. The villa is a national monument.

We were amazed at the garden's variety, including the biggest azalea bushes we'd ever seen. We also saw palms, bamboos, fruit trees (lemon and lime), trees imported from China, even Sequoia Redwoods!

A small museum located in the Orangerie adjacent to the villa is also on the grounds, exhibiting Napoleonic relics, sculptures, and two nice frescoes. You'll want to allow at least an hour to an hour and a half to walk the spacious grounds.

I giardini di Villa Melzi is open from April through October, 9:00 - 6:30. Admission is ITL10,000 (less than $5) for adults. Telephone +39 (0)286-998-647.

If you are heading to any mid-lake destination (Bellagio, Varenna, or Menaggio) on Lake Como from Milan via train, catch the one hour ride to Varenna-Esino via Lecco. We were told by a TrenItalia representative that this train would be shown as "TIRANO" on the big board at Milan's Stazione Centrale, but it actually appeared as "LECCOTIRANO" and we almost missed it. So be sure to double check the train number on the monitors located at the head of each track. You can also reach Bellagio from Como, but you will be in for about a two-hour ferry ride; in comparison, a ferry from Varenna to Bellagio takes less than 15 minutes. A one-way second class train ticket from Milan to Varenna costs a mere ITL8,100 (about $4); first class is ITL12,200 (about $6). A one-way ferry ticket from Varenna to Bellagio costs ITL4,800 (less than $2.50).

There is no ticket office at the Varenna-Esino station; you can, however, purchase a train ticket to a short list of destinations, including Milan, from a vending machine at the station. But if you are headed elsewhere from Varenna (for example, it is possible to take a train to Tirano and catch the Bernina Express to St. Moritz, Switzerland), you'll need to get a ticket from the travel agency in Varenna, I Viaggi del Tivano (Via Esino 3, telephone +39 (0)341 814009, email sberet@tin.it). Just walk from the Varenna-Esino station down the hill towards the waterfront; the travel agency will be on your right next to Albergo (Hotel) Beretta. The people at the agency are friendly and speak very serviceable English.

If you want to venture beyond the three mid-lake villages, Lugano, Switzerland is a worthwhile day trip. If you don't have a car, to get to Lugano you'll need to take a ferry to Menaggio and buy a bus ticket at the newsstand in the center of town. Our hotel had the bus schedule. The bus stop is a couple of blocks up the hill from the newsstand. It's about an hour ride across scenic views to Lugano. I Viaggi del Tivano in Varenna has walking maps and tourist info for Lugano.

They say hindsight is always 20/20, and if we were to do it over again, we would rent a car at Milan Malpensa and drive to Bellagio rather than rely on the trains, ferries, and buses that serve the Lake Como area. This will give you a lot of flexibility if you're going to venture outside the mid-lake region (to Lugano, for example) as we did. Otherwise, the ferry, train, and bus schedules will almost certainly leave you waiting somewhere along the line. You can get your car on a ferry with ease if need be.

We felt two days in Bellagio was plenty of time for us to relax and unwind after stops in Milan and Florence. Add a third day if you want to include the day trip to Lugano.