6Varenna, Lake Como

Sitting across from Bellagio is Varenna. The only thing that detracts from Bellagio’s beauty for us can be its popularity. It’s one of the busiest places on the lake. And its for this reason that we often prefer to spend time in its nearest neighbour, Varenna, a town that we feel has an air of authenticity that Bellagio can sometimes lack in the peak Summer season.

Varenna may not boast the high end villas and gardens of Bellagio but we find its more low key fishermen’s houses just as charming. And it’s not totally devoid of smart villas. There is Villa Cipressi (now a hotel but whose gardens are accessible to the public for a small fee) and Villa Monastero (which is now used for conferences but which is sometimes open to the public and is well worth a visit both inside and out in its narrow garden, home to ornate terraces, sculptures and more.)

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