If you love relaxation and views, do not miss this post: ready for a weekend of beauty and entertainment in the eastern part of Lake Como?
If there is a place that I personally love, near the area where I live, it is Varenna. We are in Lombardy, in the eastern part of Lake Como, about 20 km from Lecco, my city.
Where is Varenna
The beauty of Varenna lies in the location, completely overlooking the lake, and in the magnificent and always different ideas it offers the visitor to spend a pleasant day.
What to do in Varenna
The village itself is really small, a treasure chest of unmistakable beauty: you start from the square of the historic center with the Church of St. George, to go down through long and steep stairways, towards the lakefront area, where you will be spoiled for choice with regard to ice cream parlors, bars, restaurants among the most renowned in our area, but also many typical shops that offer thelocal crafts.
You can therefore remain seated in front of a cocktail enjoying the location in which you are immersed, or indulge in the wildest shopping! If you want to tour the village a little, you will find many panoramic points to immortalize and cobbled streets in a continuous ups and downs, so bring comfortable shoes (tight heels not recommended).
The Walk of Love
Very impressive, even if always crowded during the high season and weekends, is the Walk of Love that connects the village with the Imbarcadero area: it is a very romantic red walkway that winds along a stretch of lake.
If you want to walk it and take some photos, I recommend early in the morning (not after 10) or in the evening after 18 pm, a suggestion that also applies to the visit to the village. If during a sunny day you can enjoy strong and lively colors, a cheerful atmosphere and the magnificent glints of the sun on the lake, in the evening you will experience the orange colors of the sunset and the lights that begin to light up, to reflect on the flat surface of the lake, and to illuminate the whole village.
Gastronomic tips
If you want to end the evening romantically, there are several restaurants, but my favorite remains the "Old Varenna". The location is enviable, with a terrace overlooking the lake: they do not offer many dishes, but all strictly belonging to the local culinary tradition. Preferring good quality to a quantity that you might end up not appreciating has always been for me an indication of accuracy on the part of restaurateurs.
Prices are medium to high, but generally all the restaurants in Varenna are not cheap; the alternative are wraps, bruschetta or pizzas that you find in various bars and clubs.
Villa Cipressi and Villa Monastero
Varenna is not only beautiful lake landscapes, lively local life and one of the most characteristic villages, but it is also elegance that is reflected in its two most beautiful villas, which have become not only congress centers, but also locations for fabulous weddings.
Villa Cipressi and Villa Monastero: placed next to each other in the upper part of the village, near the Church of San Giorgio. The first is very dear to me because it is the place where I got married 18 years ago, but both are magnificent and completely overlooking the lake.
Their beauty is enhanced by the presence of the gardens that surround them, full of flowers, even exotic plants and architectural elements, together with the long avenue where you can take relaxing walks. The garden area can be visited in both villas while only in Villa Monastero you can also access the "House Museum", richly furnished and with an interesting collection of works of art.
Trips around Varenna
If you have one or a few more days at your disposal, after enjoying all that Varenna has to offer, you could head to the Imbarcadero: several trips to other locations. The classic tour allows you to visit the famous Bellagio, flagship of our lake, or Menaggio and / or Cadenabbia: these are all three places that fall within the so-called "comfort zone", as I call it, because they require a few minutes of navigation to be reached from Varenna and the boats that travel those routes are very frequent.
On the westernmost side of the lake, however, in about 40 minutes, you can reach Villa Carlotta, Villa del Balbianello in just over an hour, or theComacina Island in about 20 minutes.
The costs of the single ticket vary according to the zones: from about 2 Euros for the closest areas to 8/9 Euros for the more distant ones, these are the rates for each adult; children under 4 travel free, otherwise they are entitled to a reduction.
Recently there is also the "Happy Family" ticket which includes two paying adults and a maximum of two children under 12 years free: with this type of ticket you can get on and off at any location for the whole day, or for 6 days if your stay is about a week.
Taxi Boat, exclusive tours
If by chance you are not a lover of ferries and boats, and prefer to take a tour a little more "chic" and exclusive, there are the famous "Taxi Boats" that offer tours for small groups or even private and personalized ones to the most famous locations of the lake: prices vary by 30 60 in euros for one or two hours in the small group option, including guide on board. For the costs of the private tours you will have to ask through the site.
Where to park
I just have to give you some practical information. As you will have understood, being the village very small and rather frequented by tourists, the places to leave the car for free can be counted on the tip of the fingers: they are mostly located along the avenue leading to the entrance of the village, on your left , or there is something in the Imbarcadero area but in this case you will have to be a miracle!
Just below the station, there are some free places but only for an hour, while in the station everything is paid, around 15 Euros for the whole day. Always for a fee, more or less in front of the villas mentioned above and the only free parking in the area, there is a brand new multi-storey silos at € 20 for the whole day.
Traveling by train: the best option
The best way to save time and money without getting caught by the sclera? Arrive by train: from Lecco or Milan you have to take the direction of Sondrio / Tirano and get off at Varenna station. This has always been our favorite option because the train stops just above the landing stage and allows you to reach the center in two minutes without effort. Not to mention that to return to Lecco and Milan, in the afternoon or evening, it will take several hours, given the endless queues that have always characterized this stretch.
