Varenna
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By Dion Protani
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Latest update: 1 March 2022
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There are lakes and there is Lake Como, there are lakeside towns and there is Varenna.
On my travels I've visited more than 100 of the most beautiful lakes in Italy and sought out the very best spots around each one; I'm yet to find a lakeside town more beautiful than Varenna. The dozens of towns situated around Lake Como ooze class and refinement but Varenna is the very embodiment of what all the others are trying to achieve. |
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When I started to put this guide together I resolved to visit every town around Lake Como which is no mean feat. I patiently worked my way around the lake, stopping at each town to take photos as I arrived by car. At the end of one very long day, I saw a turn-off for Varenna but saw it was blocked by a peloton of cyclists and at a whim, I decided I could give it a miss and just content myself with a long-range shot of the town I'd taken earlier from the other side of the lake.
Months later, having left the region completely, I started to do some post-visit research on the lake and kept seeing the name Varenna crop up. I started looking at photos of the town and was ashen-faced when I finally realised what a treasure I'd missed out on. Never again will I let a small group of cyclists deter me from taking a turning! I have of course returned to Varenna since and found everything I'd been hoping to find and more.
The first thing to note about Varenna is something that's quite pertinent to my near-miss the first time around; Varenna is pedestrianised and therefore closed to vehicles which are directed around the edges of the village, rather than driving through its centre as happens with most locations around the lake. The upshot of this is a more relaxed, cleaner environment where you can explore everything on foot.
I started my Varenna walkaround from just south of the village, parking in the spacious multi-storey car park just a short walk from the centre. I decided to stop first at the beautiful Villa Monastero: a 13th century convent that was eventually dissolved in the 16th century, apparently due to some questionable behaviour by its resident nuns. The villa complex currently has various functions but its most attractive feature is its garden. Exotic, colourful plants and flowers sprout in every direction with the backdrop of the lake lending it that unquestionable sense of elegance.
Part of Villa Monastero's charm comes from the views across the lake to Villa Cipressi which should be the next stop on your discovery of the town. Although Villa Cipressi is a private hotel, it has a significant area of its gardens open to the public. Just as with Villa Monastero, the garden gently descends down to the shoreline, offering further beguiling views of the lake.
Into the town itself, the first square you arrive at is Piazza San Giorgio; named after the 13th century church of the same name that dominates its eastern edge. Piazza San Giorgio is an airy, open public space lined with trees and ringed by a number of bars and restaurants; a great place to hang out for a spot of people-watching. It also has the distinction of being home to one of the oldest churches around Lake Como, the 10th century Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista with its famous frescoes.
At this point we've had two beautiful botanical gardens and a charming square with medieval churches but the best is yet to come. If you follow the descending incline of Piazza San Giorgio you'll start to see some narrow passageways that lead down to the lake. At the top of one of the passageways you'll see a sign to the Hotel du Lac and if you walk down here you'll eventually reach the lake. Once you get down to this area of the town, you can really see what sets Varenna apart.
The little bay here is made up of clusters of character-filled, multi-coloured buildings housing restaurants, bars, shops or private residences. During the summer months this area is a riot of colour with different shades of bougainvillea protruding from the gaps in between buildings while an army of trees stands to attention in the background. This is one of the nicest places in Italy to stop for a bite to eat or to simply enjoy a long, slow drink while taking in the sumptuous surroundings.
You'd be forgiven for any overindulgence in refreshment such as an ice-cream here but you have the perfect opportunity to do something about it by taking a leisurely stroll along the aptly-named Passeggiata degli Innamorati, the "Walk of Lovers". This lakeside promenade curves its way to another engaging area of Varenna called Olivedo. A further cluster of restaurants, bars and hotels greet you here but of greater relevance, this is where you'll find Varenna's "imbarcadero", the ferry stop from which you can sail to the other towns around the lake. Varenna's transport links are further strengthened here by the town's train station which can take you south to Lecco or north to the neighbouring town of Bellano.
There is still a further delight to enjoy in Varenna: gazing down on to the town from a great height is Castello di Vezio. Dating back to the seventh century, the castle is famous for its haunting sculptures of ghosts as well as its occasional falconry displays. The walk up to the castle from the village requires some stamina and can take around half an hour or so, but if you have a car you can take the sting out of it and park just a short distance away.
Months later, having left the region completely, I started to do some post-visit research on the lake and kept seeing the name Varenna crop up. I started looking at photos of the town and was ashen-faced when I finally realised what a treasure I'd missed out on. Never again will I let a small group of cyclists deter me from taking a turning! I have of course returned to Varenna since and found everything I'd been hoping to find and more.
The first thing to note about Varenna is something that's quite pertinent to my near-miss the first time around; Varenna is pedestrianised and therefore closed to vehicles which are directed around the edges of the village, rather than driving through its centre as happens with most locations around the lake. The upshot of this is a more relaxed, cleaner environment where you can explore everything on foot.
I started my Varenna walkaround from just south of the village, parking in the spacious multi-storey car park just a short walk from the centre. I decided to stop first at the beautiful Villa Monastero: a 13th century convent that was eventually dissolved in the 16th century, apparently due to some questionable behaviour by its resident nuns. The villa complex currently has various functions but its most attractive feature is its garden. Exotic, colourful plants and flowers sprout in every direction with the backdrop of the lake lending it that unquestionable sense of elegance.
Part of Villa Monastero's charm comes from the views across the lake to Villa Cipressi which should be the next stop on your discovery of the town. Although Villa Cipressi is a private hotel, it has a significant area of its gardens open to the public. Just as with Villa Monastero, the garden gently descends down to the shoreline, offering further beguiling views of the lake.
Into the town itself, the first square you arrive at is Piazza San Giorgio; named after the 13th century church of the same name that dominates its eastern edge. Piazza San Giorgio is an airy, open public space lined with trees and ringed by a number of bars and restaurants; a great place to hang out for a spot of people-watching. It also has the distinction of being home to one of the oldest churches around Lake Como, the 10th century Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista with its famous frescoes.
At this point we've had two beautiful botanical gardens and a charming square with medieval churches but the best is yet to come. If you follow the descending incline of Piazza San Giorgio you'll start to see some narrow passageways that lead down to the lake. At the top of one of the passageways you'll see a sign to the Hotel du Lac and if you walk down here you'll eventually reach the lake. Once you get down to this area of the town, you can really see what sets Varenna apart.
The little bay here is made up of clusters of character-filled, multi-coloured buildings housing restaurants, bars, shops or private residences. During the summer months this area is a riot of colour with different shades of bougainvillea protruding from the gaps in between buildings while an army of trees stands to attention in the background. This is one of the nicest places in Italy to stop for a bite to eat or to simply enjoy a long, slow drink while taking in the sumptuous surroundings.
You'd be forgiven for any overindulgence in refreshment such as an ice-cream here but you have the perfect opportunity to do something about it by taking a leisurely stroll along the aptly-named Passeggiata degli Innamorati, the "Walk of Lovers". This lakeside promenade curves its way to another engaging area of Varenna called Olivedo. A further cluster of restaurants, bars and hotels greet you here but of greater relevance, this is where you'll find Varenna's "imbarcadero", the ferry stop from which you can sail to the other towns around the lake. Varenna's transport links are further strengthened here by the town's train station which can take you south to Lecco or north to the neighbouring town of Bellano.
There is still a further delight to enjoy in Varenna: gazing down on to the town from a great height is Castello di Vezio. Dating back to the seventh century, the castle is famous for its haunting sculptures of ghosts as well as its occasional falconry displays. The walk up to the castle from the village requires some stamina and can take around half an hour or so, but if you have a car you can take the sting out of it and park just a short distance away.
Comune di Varenna
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Province: Lecco
Region: Lombardy Population: 741 (source: ISTAT 1 January 2022) Size: 11 km² Elevation: 220 metres Highlights: Villa Monastero, Passeggiata degli Innamorati Recommended accommodation: Hotel Olivedo Close by: Bellagio, Villa Carlotta, Lecco |
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