Lake Como – Bellagio And Varenna

Lake Como with streets lined with palm trees and elegant pastel-coloured villas, is surrounded by snow capped mountains, and criss-crossed by a fleet of ferries and hydrofoils. This is a great place to take a break from the intensity of Italy that one finds further south. Just an hour north-east of bustling Milan, Lake Como’s ambiance seems to whisper luna di mele (honeymoon).

Bellagio is a combination of Old World elegance and new world luxury.

Varenna — on the less-developed side of the lake — has a romantic waterside promenade, a tiny harbour, and inviting narrow lanes.