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Villa del Balbianello on its wooded promontory in Lake Como
Your escape · Lombardy, Italy

Lake Como

Villas, gardens and a rationalist masterpiece, an hour from Milan.

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What makes it distinctive

Why this escape is yours

Lake Como pairs the grand villa gardens of its shoreline with something few lake resorts have: Como town's remarkable twentieth-century architecture. Mornings on the water, afternoons in gardens and a car for the hill roads make it complete.

  • Villa gardens at Tremezzo and Bellagio, and Giuseppe Terragni's Casa del Fascio in Como town, a landmark of Italian rationalism.

Season: Many lakeside hotels close from roughly November to March; July and August are the busiest months. Best months: April, May, June, September, October.

The itinerary

3 days in Lake Como

A practical, unhurried outline to adapt as you like. Check opening times and reservations before you go.

  1. Arrive by water

    Check in, then take a boat north along the western shore past the wooded headland of Villa del Balbianello. Dine by the lake as the light goes.

  2. Como's rationalist heart

    Spend a morning in Como town: the cathedral, then Giuseppe Terragni's Casa del Fascio on Piazza del Popolo, an architecture stop rather than a place to stay. Ride the funicular to Brunate for the view in the late afternoon.

  3. Gardens of the mid-lake

    See the gardens of Villa Carlotta at Tremezzo, cross to Bellagio by ferry, and have a late lunch. Drive the shore road home at sunset.

Every element

How the escape comes together

Villa d'Este, as pictured on Agoda (opens Agoda in a new tab)
Stay · hotel

Villa d'Este

Cernobbio

A historic villa hotel in large gardens on the water at Cernobbio. It is close to Como town for the architecture day and on the western shore for the drives.

This recommendation is based on research, not a visit. Confirm current details, rates and seasonal opening with the property.

Check availability

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Arrive

Milan Malpensa (MXP) or Milan Linate (LIN)

Allow roughly an hour to an hour and a half by road from either Milan airport to the western shore, more at busy times.

Lakeside roads are narrow and crowded in summer. Public ferries and private water taxis are often the more graceful way between villages.

Journey details

Add a departure city in the Planner to see an approximate flying time.

Estimated from great-circle distance at an average of 800 km/h plus 30 minutes. It is not a schedule, and it does not account for winds, routings or connections. We do not show fares, tolls or fuel costs because they change constantly. Check them with airlines and operators.

Your second home on the road

Aston Martin DB12 Volante

The lake is made for a slow open-top drive, and a grand tourer is just as comfortable for the motorway back to Milan.

Two proper front seats and occasional rear seats; luggage space suits a couple travelling light.

Rewarding outside peak weekends: the western shore and the climbs into the hills. Leave the car parked on the days you spend on the water.

Prefer not to drive? Private boat between villages: Book a boat for the days in Bellagio and Tremezzo; it is quicker than the road and far more beautiful.

The second home on the road
Time

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso

The Reverso and Terragni's Casa del Fascio date from the same years between the wars. Both are exercises in rational, elegant geometry.

The swivelling case, first made in 1931 to protect the crystal during polo, has the clean Art Deco geometry of its decade.

An editorial suggestion, not an advertisement. The watch you already love is always the right one.

Atmosphere

Cypress and warm stone

  • cypress
  • fig leaf
  • bergamot
  • mineral accord

Cypress, fig leaf and warm stone recall the lake's terraced gardens and are fresh enough for a warm car.

For the room: Green and cool by day, resinous at night: the smell of a garden terrace after the sun has left it.

For the car: A light cypress and bergamot blend keeps the cabin fresh without competing with the lake air.

Stays

Find a stay in Como

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Read further

The stories behind this escape

Destinations2 min read

Lake Como, beyond the postcard

Timeless villas, hidden shores and a slower, more meaningful way to experience Italy's most famous lake, including a detour into the rationalist architecture most visitors miss.

Watches2 min read

The Reverso and the rationalists

A watch born on the polo fields of the 1930s and a building by the shore of Lake Como share a surprising idea of elegance.

  1. Choose the feeling
  2. Set the boundaries
  3. Reveal three escapes
  4. Explore an escape
  5. Save or share
A Prestagio escape

Lake Como

Feeling
Open to anything
When
Flexible
Stay
Villa d'Este, Cernobbio
Journey
Aston Martin DB12 Volante, your second home on the road
Time
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso
Atmosphere
Cypress and warm stone
Days
Arrive by water · Como's rationalist heart · Gardens of the mid-lake

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