Your property in Como
Prestigious and luxurious country homes are available to those seeking property in Como, one of Italy’s most stunning and affluent destinations.
The area’s lakes are one of the most breathtaking natural sites in the country, with lakeside properties being particularly sought-after.
The region’s beautiful towns and villages also offer magnificent penthouses and apartments in architecturally captivating buildings with peerless views of the mountainous backdrop.
Inside Como
Como is nothing short of sublime, with its pristine lakeside towns and villages full of historic palaces and villas, incredible architectural sites and high-end but discrete sophisticated culture.
The town of Como itself is bursting with ancient monuments, including its marble-clad Duomo, historic villas such as the 18th Century Villa Olmo, and marvellous lakeside walks, combined with a buzzing offering of bars and restaurants in piazzas and cobbled streets serving delicious meals and moreish cocktails.
Elsewhere on Lake Como, Bellagio delights with its quaint waterfront, traditional buildings and cypress groves, while other small villages offer low-key luxury, and further afield, Lake Maggiore’s islands – particularly the Borromean trio – are a must-see.
Landscape
The inverted Y-shaped lake has Como at the tip of its western fork, Lecco on its eastern fork and Sorico at its northernmost tip.
The lake, just like the towns and villages around it, is set against the foothills of the Alps, with the Como province bordering Switzerland.
The area sits in the Lombardy region in northern Italy and so offers excellent access south to Milan, with plentiful skiing opportunities a short distance north.
Education
Como is perfectly set up for families, with its International School of Como in nearby Fino Mornasco.
In terms of universities, the University of Insubria has a campus in Como and offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses, as well as specialities such as medicine.
Activities and Entertainment
Strolling along captivating promenades taking in Lake Como, or exploring the area’s extraordinary architecture are fantastic ways to soak up the atmosphere of this wonderful area.
For something more active, plenty of water sports are available on Lake Como, including jet-skiing, sailing, kite surfing, and even canyoning, but for those who like relaxing by the water, the various beach clubs, as well as grassy or stony beaches, are perfect for families to explore.
And for a truly special experience, the funicular from Como takes passengers to the secluded residential village of Brunate – 720 metres above sea level – where its baroque San Andrea church can be explored and the Dorsale hike, which takes in the lighthouse in San Maurizio that marks the centenary of Alessandro Volta’s death, begins.
Art and Culture
Getting a flavour of Como’s culture is easy thanks to the numerous museums that delve into its intriguing history, including the Museo della Seta, which unveils the area’s long-standing textile industry, and Tempio Voltiano, which celebrates its famed resident Alessandro Volta, the electric-battery inventor.
Market culture is truly alive in Como too, with Mercato Coperto offering up boundless fresh local produce, including lake fish, mountain honey and artisan cheeses, and Como’s monthly antiques market personifying the area’s love of treasures.
Como celebrates the arts with a wide-ranging events calendar, including festivals dedicated to film, poetry, classical music and art.
Food and Drink
With its sprinkling of resident Hollywood stars, finding cutting-edge cuisine in Michelin-starred restaurants such as Kitchen, and lavish cocktails in idyllic beach clubs is easy in Como.
The area’s abundance of high quality produce means that smaller, independent cafés, bars and restaurants also provide excellent food, including Cascina Respaù, nestled above Como, while bottegas such as Pronobis serve up small menus of local specialities alongside superb wine.
As Lake Como sits within the Consorzio IGT Terre Lariane, which strictly controls the type and quality of wines from the area, some truly special wines are available, including those which use the indigenous white Verdese. The area also has a small but high quality gin culture developing, with a vibrant craft beer scene in Brianza and Lecco.
Accessibility
Getting to the Italian lakes is easy by air, with both of Milan’s Malpensa and Linate airports between 50-60 kilometres away. Alternatively, Bergamot airport is roughly 80 kilometres distance.
Trains and buses travel to the Lakes from these airports, although Italy’s modern motorway system means easy access by car is possible.
The country’s high-speed rail network reaches Milan from various major cities around Italy, with local services operating between Milan and the Lakes.