Mandello del Lario
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By Dion Protani
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Latest update: 26 September 2023
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The lakeside town of Mandello del Lario is situated in the Province of Lecco, on the shores of Lake Como. It has a population of around 10,000 residents and is located a distance of 65 kilometres north of Milan, the regional capital of Lombardy.
Despite being one of the prettiest towns around the lake, it's so far evaded the influx of tourists of its famous neighbouring towns. |
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The shape of Lake Como is often described as an "upside down Y" but you could also describe it as a water-diviner or even a tree root. Either way, Mandello del Lario lies on the eastern shore of the lake between the city of Lecco to its south and Lierna to its north. The name of the town includes the ancient name of Lake Como which used to be called Lario and still is by some locals.
It's unlikely that the main focus of your lakeside holiday would be to visit a motorcycle museum but "when in Mandello" as they say. The town is home to the Moto-Guzzi motorcycle company who have a popular museum here displaying their product. Aside from its attraction to motorcycle enthusiasts, the company's presence has been an integral part of the local economy since it was founded in 1921.
This really is a lovely town with an attractive centre made up of colourful historic buildings, nowhere more so than at the Porto di Riva Grande harbour area. From here it's just a short walk to what could be described as the town centre in Piazza Italia. The pretty square is fringed by open-air restaurants looking out onto the lake and the elegant imbarcadero: the jetty from which you can catch a ferry to the panoply of sights around the lake.
To the north of Mandello are two of the lake's most famous towns: Bellagio and Varenna. Each of those towns is worthy of a day-trip in its own right with gardens such as Villa Monastero (Varenna) and Giardini di Villa Melzi (Bellagio) among their highlights. Most towns ar found the lake have their own ferry stop and this is one of the most enjoyable ways to explore the lake. You can do even more with a car but just bear in mind the lake area is vast, and attractive though the lakeside drive is, it takes a long time to make your way around the whole lake, partly because there are so many towns along the way that you'll want to stop at.
Mandello does also have a train station; you can take a train south to Lecco with a journey time of 15 minutes or north to Colico (52 minutes) with notable stops along the way at Lierna (12 mins), Varenna (23 mins) and Bellano (29 mins).
It's unlikely that the main focus of your lakeside holiday would be to visit a motorcycle museum but "when in Mandello" as they say. The town is home to the Moto-Guzzi motorcycle company who have a popular museum here displaying their product. Aside from its attraction to motorcycle enthusiasts, the company's presence has been an integral part of the local economy since it was founded in 1921.
This really is a lovely town with an attractive centre made up of colourful historic buildings, nowhere more so than at the Porto di Riva Grande harbour area. From here it's just a short walk to what could be described as the town centre in Piazza Italia. The pretty square is fringed by open-air restaurants looking out onto the lake and the elegant imbarcadero: the jetty from which you can catch a ferry to the panoply of sights around the lake.
To the north of Mandello are two of the lake's most famous towns: Bellagio and Varenna. Each of those towns is worthy of a day-trip in its own right with gardens such as Villa Monastero (Varenna) and Giardini di Villa Melzi (Bellagio) among their highlights. Most towns ar found the lake have their own ferry stop and this is one of the most enjoyable ways to explore the lake. You can do even more with a car but just bear in mind the lake area is vast, and attractive though the lakeside drive is, it takes a long time to make your way around the whole lake, partly because there are so many towns along the way that you'll want to stop at.
Mandello does also have a train station; you can take a train south to Lecco with a journey time of 15 minutes or north to Colico (52 minutes) with notable stops along the way at Lierna (12 mins), Varenna (23 mins) and Bellano (29 mins).
Comune di Mandello del Lario
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Province: Lecco
Region: Lombardy Population: 10,014 (source: ISTAT 1 January 2023) Size: 43 km² Elevation: 200 metres Highlights: Porto di Riva Grande, Moto-Guzzi Museum Travel facilities: imbarcadero (ferry stop), train station Close by: Lecco, Varenna, Villa Monastero, Bellagio, Villa Carlotta Recommended accommodation: Hotel Meridiana (17 km) |
