How to arrive and things to do in Bellagio, Lake Como
Bellagio is one of the best known villages on Lake Como. Its name derives from the Latin bi-lacus – “between the lakes”: Bellagio is in fact located on the extreme tip of the promontory that divides the two branches of the lake. A unique position, which places it exactly in the center of the Lario’s waters.
Although it is only 30 km away from Como, it takes about an hour by car to get to Bellagio; the roads are scenic but particularly winding. For this reason, the most comfortable and scenic way to reach Bellagio is certainly by boat. Private boats and ferries connect Bellagio with the whole lake.
The village of Bellagio is characterized by narrow stairways, passages and arcades, local craft shops. You can visit the historic center in no more than half an hour, but it is worth taking a leisurely stroll and enjoying every little secret corner.
The gardens of Villa Melzi
In Bellagio there are two historic villas which are open to public. Villa Melzi and Villa Serbelloni. Villa Melzi can be reached on foot from the center of Bellagio (about 10 minutes). The ticket is 6.50 Euros, the gardens of the villas are open every day from the end of March to the beginning of November from 10 to 1730. Villa Melzi was built in the early 1800s by Duke Melzi, vice president of the First Italian Republic at the time of Napoleon. The interior of the villa is closed to the public, but the beauty of this place is characterized by the enormous gardens, which are manicured in the smallest detail. To enjoy the nature of one of the most beautiful gardens in Italy, you must take a stroll of at least half an hour / forty minutes, even if the advice is to linger a little longer to appreciate the contrast of the green of the park with the blue of the lake .
The park of Villa Serbelloni
The park of Villa Serbelloni extends on the steep promontory that separates the two branches of the lake. The visit of the park is exclusively guided, at 11 (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday), at 11 and at 15.30 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), and takes about two hours. The park is a suggestive tangle of paths immersed in native and exotic vegetation and embellished with terraces and statues. A quiet walk to enjoy a superb view of the branches of Lake Como and Lecco. Originally built by the noble Serbelloni family, the villa is now part of the Rockefeller foundation.
Pescallo and Punta Spartivento
One of the most evocative hamlets of Bellagio is Pescallo, originally a fishing village. From the center of Bellagio it can be reached in a quarter of an hour, through the stepped alleys that rise up the hill and then descend towards the bank of the Lecco branch. Punta Spartivento is the point where the lake divides exactly into two branches. In front of the pier that divides the waters, the wonderful panorama of the Alps. Easily reachable on foot, 10 minutes from Bellagio center.
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