Lecco

Sign with history of Lecco

Lecco is a city on the southeastern shore of Lake Como in northern Italy. It is about 31 miles from Milan which makes it a great place to end your Italian vacation if you are leaving from Milan. The Bergamo Alps rise to the north and to the east. It is a very beautiful area with a lot of history. Excavations found that there was a Celtic settlement before the Romans. The Romans built a fortified military camp and made it an important road hub. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire the Lombards captured the town in the 6th century. Later they were followed by the Franks who made the seat of the countship. At some time it was ruled by Gian Giacomo Medici.

If you read the sign, in 1336 Lecco was made into a walled in city with a moat by the Lord of Milan. The Sforza Dukes of Milan from 1466 to the 16th century built the castle creating a fortified port on the lake. In 1782, Emperor Joseph II abolished the fortress by selling the castle to private buyers. The ruins of the wall and moat can still be seen today. Bridges were built over the river and it is now easy to get back and forth from Milan.

Today the city is full of shops, restaurants and ferry landings. You can rent a boat or hop on a ferry to many destinations on the lake. It is also the beginning for trails that you can hike up into the Alps. In the winter there are ski areas close by.

We had a relaxing last day of shopping and dining at some of the many outdoor cafes.

Lake Como has many beautiful destinations. The city of Como is another one as well as Bellagio.  You won't go wrong staying at any of those destinations. Como and Lecco are probably the easiest for getting back to Milan. 

Hotel Villa Giulia, Valmadrera

View from our terrace

Now a little on accommodations at Lake Como. I like to stay on the Malgrate and Lecco part of the "Y". It has a quiet vibe with beautiful views. I have stayed at the Clarion Collection Hotel Griso in the past. This hotel sits up the hill from the lake with beautiful views of the lake, Lecco and the Alps. Each room is a suite with a large terrace facing the lake. We really enjoyed staying there.

This time I booked rooms at the Hotel Villa Giulia, Valmadrera on the same side of the lake. The hotel is about a mile further up the lake and sits right on the waters edge. Our room was a suite with a large terrace facing the water. Being closer to the water was nice and the restaurant has outside seating with a great view. In the mornings we had the breakfast buffet as we watch the wind and kite surfers play in the water. At night we brought wine out on the terrace as we relaxed and enjoyed the view of Lecco lit up at night. Dinner was exceptional as our waiter made the meal very enjoyable. Where the Hotel Griso is very good it has a chain feeling. The Villa Giulia has more of a family boutique feeling.

I would stay at either one. If you stay at the Villa Giulia make sure you ask for a room with a lake view. 

View from terrace

Our terrace

Little cafe on the lake by hotel

View from hotel

Lecco at night

Sunset on lake

Renting a Boat on Lake Como

Used in Casino Royal

We stayed in Lake Como for about three days and the second day we rented a boat. There are many ways to see Lake Como. You can drive to the many cities and towns around the lake, you can also take ferries from one place to another or you can rent a boat like we did.

We rented the boat in Lecco from Fabio at Lino Noleggio. The cost to rent a boat on Lake Como is cheaper than you think. For a full 8 hour day the cost was 330 Euro. Fabio meets you at the boat and goes over everything you need to know. The boats have GPS so he can follow where you are and help if you need to get somewhere specific. He also suggested a place to eat for lunch and made reservations for us.

Lake Como is huge and there is no way you can see everything in 8 hours. If you want to see something specific like George Clooney's villa you will want to rent a boat on that leg of the "Y". However we were able to see a lot more than we expected. There are two villas that were in the Bond movie Casino Royal, one where he shoots the guy at the end of the movie and the over where he is recovering from an injury. Bellagio is on a piece of land jutting out into the lake where the legs of the "Y" come together. As you boat up the coast there are villas everywhere to see and with the Alps in the background it is a beautiful site. We ate lunch @ Hotel Villa Aurora Lezzeno Lake Como just past the Bellagio where we tied up off shore and they came out to bring us in. And then there is the city of Como which we didn't have time to see. All in all it is a nice relaxing way to see the lake.

It was a beautiful day and we stopped to go swimming twice. We also brought cheese, salami and bread for snacks. At the end of the day Fabio was there to great us and we were on our way back to the hotel. What a great way to see the lake.

For information on the boat rental http://linonoleggio.com/en/

If you don't feel comfortable renting a boat then check out a ferry. They have regular schedules and you can get to almost anywhere around the lake.

Another lake close by worth seeing is Lake Lugano just across the border in Switzerland.

Relaxing on the lake

What a beautiful day

Lunch on the lake

View from restaurant

Bellagio

Bellagio

Lake Como

View from our room.

On a vacation like this I like to see as much as I can. We did a lot of walking and a lot of driving. So, at the end of the trip it is nice to relax so you don't feel exhausted when you get home. In Italy my favorite place to end a trip is at Lake Como.

Lake Como is not far from Milan which makes it easy to get to the airport. It is also one of the most beautiful places in Italy with the lake and alps side by side. The lake is in the shape of a "Y" and is huge. You can drive around the lake or tour by boat. I like to stay in a town called Malgrate which is at the end of one of the short legs of the "Y". The reason why I like Malgrate is that it is right on the water facing the lake with the city of Lecco on the other side and the alps beyond that. It makes for a beautiful view. In the morning you can watch the wind surfers and kite surfing as you walk along the water. Later in the morning you can go into Lecco for shopping, dining and siteseeing.

We stayed at the Hotel Villa Giulia, Valmadrera which is right on the water with incredible views. More on the hotel later as well as details on what to see and do in the area..

After three days at the lake we were relaxed and ready for the flight home.

Lake Como