Lecco & surrounding

Lecco and the eastern arm of Lake Como

Lake Como splits into two arms below Bellagio, and Lecco sits at the foot of the eastern one, often called Lago di Lecco. It is a real working town rather than a resort, with a lakeside promenade, a busy market and a backdrop of jagged limestone peaks, including the saw-toothed Resegone and the Grigne.

Lecco is the setting of Alessandro Manzoni's novel I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed), one of the best-known books in Italian literature. Manzoni's childhood home is now a museum, and places from the story are marked around the town.

Villages along the shore

North of Lecco, the eastern shore runs past Mandello del Lario, home of the Moto Guzzi motorcycle factory, to Varenna, one of the prettiest villages on the lake. Varenna's lanes drop steeply to the water, and its lakeside gardens at Villa Monastero and the hilltop Castello di Vezio are both worth the climb. A little further on, Bellano has a dramatic gorge, the Orrido, with walkways above the rushing water.

From Varenna, ferries cross to Bellagio and Menaggio, putting the whole central lake within reach without a car. A railway also runs along the eastern shore from Milan, which makes car-free days easy.

For walkers, the Piani Resinelli plateau and the trails of the Grigne offer big views over the lake, while the Valsassina valley behind the mountains is quiet dairy country. South of Lecco, the gentle hills of Brianza and the small lakes of Annone and Pusiano are good for cycling.

Food, wine and getting here

Lake cooking here includes risotto with perch fillets and missoltini, sun-dried lake fish grilled and served with polenta. The Valsassina produces cheeses such as Taleggio, and the Valtellina to the north makes Nebbiolo-based red wines.

Bergamo and Milan's airports are the closest, and Milan itself is close enough for a day trip by train. The area suits walkers, families and anyone who prefers an everyday Italian lake town to the busier resorts of the western shore.

Browse the villas listed below to find your base around Lecco, or read more about holidays on Lake Como.