Lake Como reveals itself in stages. Its cobalt-blue waters surrounded by hills of conifers. Look closer and you’ll see the quaint villages with snow-capped Alps in the distance. Finally, the slender bell towers, the cypressflanked promenades and the fishermen’s boats bobbing by the piers. This Russian doll of details and colours warns visitors that understanding Lake Como takes a little time. Italy’s third-largest body of water has been charming respite-seekers since Roman times. And while at first glance little seems to have changed since then, over the past two decades the shores have been working to redefine lakeside glamour. The catalyst was George Clooney — the lake’s honorary citizen — he bought a holiday villa here in 2002, giving the resort the Hollywood seal of approval. Hotel openings followed, including Il Sereno, which delivered a dose of contemporary to Lake Como’s neoclassical banks; and, this spring, a Mandarin Oriental — all serving a new generation of travellers keen to explore one of Lombardy’s most popular natural playgrounds.
Day 1
This story is from the Lombary 2020 edition of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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This story is from the Lombary 2020 edition of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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