A Tour of Italy’s Lake Como Region – Bellagio

In the fourth part of our series about car hire holidays in Italy’s Lake Como region, we take a look at the town of Bellagio.

Known as “la perlo del lago” (“the Pearl of the Lake”), Bellagio has a reputation for being a romantic and luxurious destination. It was one of Italy’s first internationally-known tourists and is still popular today. Bellagio is a great place to stay for a day or two as part of a Lake Como car hire holiday, and you’ll find plenty of hotels and guest houses to choose from.

If you fancy some real luxury, try the five-star Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni (Villa Roma 1, Bellagio 22021). The villa was constructed in the mid-nineteenth century and was originally designed to be a holiday residence for a rich Milanese family. It was converted into a hotel in 1873 and has a wonderful Michelin star-winning restaurant. Famous guests over the years have included Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Clark Gable and Al Pacino. Even if you aren’t staying at the hotel, you can take a tour of its gardens.

Other hotels in Bellagio include the Hotel Du Lac (Piazza Mazzini, 32, Bellagio, 22021), which is located in the town centre and which has been operated by the Leoni family since 1956.

Whether or not you decide to stay in Bellagio for a day or two, it’s worth parking your hire car and taking a stroll around the town. You can download a free walking tour itinerary from the Promo Bellagio website. There are two tours available.

The first, a one hour tour of the centre of Bellagio, will take you past significant buildings, including the 11th-century St. James’ Basilica and the Town Hall. The second tour will take you two hours to complete and will take you into Bellagio’s suburbs. Highlights of this tour include: the Nautical Instruments Museum, which houses a collection including compasses, nautical clocks and telescopes; the 17th century neo-classical style Villa Giulia; the 18th century Villa Gerli; and the Villa Melzi.

The Villa Melzi is one of the most significant of Lake Como’s villas. The villa was constructed between 1808 and 1810 for Francesco Melzi D’Eril, who was Duke of Lodi and Grand Chancellor of the Napoleonic reign of Italy. The villa is privately owned and is not open to the public, but you can take a tour of the lakeside park, which includes oriental gardens, the Moorish-style Dante and Beatrice kiosk, greenhouses, statues and a small rocky garden. You can also visit the small chapel in the villa’s grounds and there is a museum.

Other villas in Bellagio include the 17th century Villa Trotti and the 18th century Villa Trivulzio-Geri.

Make the time to take a stroll around Bellagio’s shops, as the town is packed with boutiques filled with locally-made items, particularly silk clothing and accessories. If you fancy taking part in something a bit more active, you can also play tennis or go rock-climbing, para-gliding, horse riding or parachuting in the Bellagio area. You can also try water skiing, rowing or wind surfing on the lake.

Once you have explored Bellagio, you can pack up your things and continue on your Lake Como car rental holiday.

Tags: Bellagio, car hire, car rental, Italy, Italy holidays, Lake Como