Lake Como

25 miles from Milan, since the 18th century the Lake of Como has been an international tourist attraction, thanks to its amazingly beautiful landscape. On its shores stayed Napoleon, Franz Listz, Queen Victoria, John Kennedy, Alfred Hitchcock and many, many others. It boasts the highest density of historic villas on a lake in the world. Among them, Villa Carlotta at Tremezzo stands out: once owned by Princess Carlotta of Nassau and now turned into a botanic garden of extraordinary value, it also hosts Neoclassical works of art by Canova, Thorvaldsen and Hayez. Among the most renowned towns: Cernobbio, Lenno, Tremezzo, Cadenabbia, Menaggio and Bellagio on the Como bank, and Varenna on the Lecco bank.