Lake Como
Situated only 40 km from Hotel Stampa, is Lake Como. One of the most famous and loved lakes in the world, a place favorite among Hollywood actors like George Clooney and other well-known international personalities. The lake spreads over 46 km among high green mountains, shores and bays with appealing gardens, villas and unique scenery.
Lake Como is a synonym to the ‘Grand Tour’. A magnificent romantic place. A landscape where the villas “multiplicate on the greenery, on the hills and reflects on the water” as Stendhal described. Among the most famous villas are, Villa del Balbianello, managed by FAI, is often used as a location for film productions, such as ‘Casino Royal’ and ‘Star Wars II’. Another one is Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo, with its Italian garden, treasuring a few masterpieces of art.
Still preserving its Roman castrum origin, with a pedestrian area of the historic city center surrounded by a medieval wall, and with some of the most beautiful churches of Roman and Gothic style in Lombardy: the Duomo, San Fedele and Sant’Abbondino. Also interesting is the ‘Itinerario Razionalista’ (Rationalist Style – Itinerary) an itinerary, in the city, along buildings that represent rationalist architecture that started in Como during the first half of the 20th century; among these building stand also the famous ‘Casa del Fascio’, designed by the eminent architect Giuseppe Terragni.
The small village of Brunate , 700m high, can be reached by the funicular that depart from the city of Como. A bit higher above Brunate, stands the Faro Voltiano di San Maurizio, a tall tower with a spiral staircase of 143 steps, that lead to the top where the magnificent view of the lake and the Alps region is simply breathtaking. In Argegno, within 20 km from Como, a funicular railway brings you to Pigra, a typical small mountain village, that offers another fantastic viewpoint of the southern part of the lake and the popular hiking destination of the Gringe massif and the native land of some of the most eminent alpinists. Ad Argegno a 20 km da Como grazie ad una funivia si può raggiungere Pigra tipico villaggio di media montagna da cui ammirare la parte meridionale del ramo comasco e dietro le famose Grigne, montagne lombarde patria di grandi alpinisti.