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…a few geographical & historical notes about lake Como There’s only one place on earth where the Mediterranean essences melt with the Alpine fragrances reconciling landscapes, colours, atmospheres, a real prelude to Italy for the travellers throughout the centuries…. In spite of the passing of time, nothing has changed here as far as the natural kindness in welcoming foreigners, the poetry, the savors and perfumes of the lake most extolled by poets… you can judge the strength and beauty of a landscape by the memory it leaves as time goes by imprinting memory indelibly with pleasant sensations… a romantic balcony overlooking the bay… a castle among ridges plunged in the bushes… white sails dotting the indigo waters… your room opening on such heavenly scenery too good to be true… And yet you are there and it is not a dream! With its tiny villages stacked perilously up the rocky slopes overlooking the lake, its lakeside resorts known the world over for their glorious settings, immersed in a natural environment of great beauty and exceptional conservation, for centuries the area has remained the favourite haunt of the selective traveler, coming over the Alpine passes to visit the Italian heartland. Owing to its position along the route from northern Europe down trough Italy, it became a crucible for the evangelisation of Europe, and the first stage in the pilgrim’s journey to the holy City of Rome: countless monuments all around the lake confirm and testify their passage Placed right at the foot of the Alps, lake Como’s peerless geographical situation affords an extraordinary spectacle of scenery that changes with the seasons and never tires the eye, while the mild climate and sheer variety of landscape combine to make the place unforgettable…. Unique! The sumptuous residences that spangle the waterfront hillsides bear eloquent witness to the lake’s enduring appeal over the centuries, their lush gardens endowed with scattered monuments of great beauty. The lake’s geographical location ensures an eco-climate of its own, with a mild winter that allows a vegetation unusual at such latitudes: you can find rare species of tropical plants alongside laurels and olive trees… “I
ask myself, Is this a dream? Anyone
with pretensions to European travel culture must have been on Lake Como
at least once…Would you take seriously a motoring enthusiast who
had never seen a Bentley or a Ferrari? Or a wine buff who had never tasted
Claret or Brunello? Quite. Como has this kind of status in the travel
canon. Everyone with an ounce of discernment has stayed there and felt
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