This cable car (about 300m north of Argengo's Piazza Roma) makes the five-minute climb to the 860m-high village of tiny Pigra every 30 minutes. From the square where the cable car arrives and from the grounds of the tiny Chiesa di Santa Margherita, the views back down over the lake are quite striking.
Pigra itself warrants some wandering along its centuries-old lanes and stairways.
17.8 MILES
Rising dramatically above the Old Town, this medieval stronghold is Bellinzona’s most visible icon. Head up Salita San Michele from Piazza Collegiata, or…
17.62 MILES
On cloudless days, you can see Lake Maggiore from this 13th-century hilltop fortification. The fortress is one of Bellinzona’s most impressive with its…
3.72 MILES
A 1km walk along the (partially wooded) lake shore from Lenno's main square, Villa Balbianello has cinematic pedigree: this was where scenes from Star…
5.71 MILES
The star of the show on a lake shore not bereft of elegant touches, the Villa Carlotta is a fabulous fusion of neoclassical architecture and harmonious…
26.02 MILES
Religious art museums are often dull, full of faded priestly vestments and tarnished silver that hasn’t been polished since the Risorgimento. But this…
25.36 MILES
In Monza's colossal park stands this equally colossal palace. Built between 1777 and 1780 as a viceregal residence for Archduke Ferdinand of Austria,…
Santuario della Madonna del Sasso
22.6 MILES
Overlooking the town, this sanctuary was built after the Virgin Mary supposedly appeared in a vision to a monk, Bartolomeo d’Ivrea, in 1480. There’s a…
17.37 MILES
From central Bellinzona, it’s a 3.5km hike south to the Castello di Sasso Corbaro. Perched high on a wooded hillside, the castle has an austere beauty…
2.58 MILES
Once the site of a Roman fort and medieval settlement, Lake Como's only island forms its own little bay with the mainland, just offshore from Ossuccio…
2. Antiquarium Archaeological Museum
2.84 MILES
Pay a visit to this tiny archaeological museum before heading out to Isola Comacina for an overview of the many historical objects unearthed on the island…
3. Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena
2.85 MILES
This tiny Romanesque church was first mentioned in 1169, and was likely built in the 11th century. Faint frescoes remain in the interior of the church,…
4. Santuario della Madonna del Soccorso
2.99 MILES
On the heights above Ossuccio, this lavish sanctuary is the destination for devoted pilgrims who make the steep 30-minute climb, passing a series of…
3.66 MILES
Summer evenings in Lenno take on a hedonistic hue at the Lido di Lenno. People from near and far converge on this artificial sandy beach, located…
3.7 MILES
One of the oldest churches on Lake Como, St Martin's dates from the 11th century, and its stolid brick bell tower makes a photogenic backdrop against the…
3.72 MILES
A 1km walk along the (partially wooded) lake shore from Lenno's main square, Villa Balbianello has cinematic pedigree: this was where scenes from Star…
5.26 MILES
Popping up between Italy and Switzerland, the 1704m peak of Monte Generoso has far-reaching views across a patchwork of lakes and mountains. The rack-and…