Here are some tips from Menaggio Tourist Office

Piazza Garibaldi 3
22017 Menaggio
tel e fax 0344 32924
e-mail infomenaggio@tiscali.it

you can contact Mathilde

Villa Carlotta and the Greenway

Take the bus line C10 (Colico direction) to Tremezzo and get off at the bus stop near villa Carlotta built in 1690 with its beautiful park with rare plants and trees. Also the inside of the villa, with its prominent art collection such as sculptures by Canova and paintings by Hayez will make your visit worth while.  Visit the interesting temporary exhibition “The Hour of Streaming Tea”. After your visit, from the villa follow the Greenway, a lovely walk, that leads along the lake side of Tremezzo and through the beautiful park parco Olivelli. From there continue to Bolvedro past the splendid villa La Quiete. The green way then climbs up to Mezzegra with its lovely historic centre with some impressing 17th century palaces. From the church S. Abbondio, there is a superb view of the lake, continue your walk to Lenno (total length 1.30h.) 

Lenno: villa Balbianello and Tuesday market

You can reach the town walking on the Greenway or by bus line (Colico direction). On Tuesday morning there is a nice market on the lake side. In the church square you can admire the Romanesque baptistery of S. Giovanni. Walk along the lovely lake side promenade of Lenno enjoying the view of the beautiful bay called "Baia di Venere,” formed by the peninsula Lavedo where one of the most famous villas of the lake, the villa Balbianello stands,. You can visit the gardens and guided visit of the villa are available (last one at 16.30) To reach the villa follow the walk way that starts from the Lido of Lenno (30 min) or from the lido take a taxi boat. 

Antiquarium and Comacina Island - Ossuccio

The Antiquarium is a small museum dedicated to the interesting history of the Island Comacina, you can find it in Ospedaletto near the church of S. Maria Maddalena with its gothic bell tower. The museum is open from 10.00 till 17.00.  From the museum you can take a taxi boat, every half an hour to the Island Comacina, rich in history,  and visit its archaeological sites.

Middle lake shuttle boat

Discover the central Lake area. Buy the day ticket for the central lake area at the boat ticket office (15 euro). You can take the boat down the Villa Carlotta built in 1690 with its beautiful park with rare plants and trees. The azaleas and rhododendrons bloom is at its best! From the villa Carlotta walk along the lake side of Tremezzo as far as the beautiful Parco Olivelli. Take the boat from Tremezzo boat dock  (12.20 or 13.48) to Bellagio and follow the small historical itinerary through the town (leaflet available in the tourist office of Menaggio and Bellagio).  Then take the boat or ferry to Varenna. Walk from the boat dock along the beautiful walk way along the lake to historical centre with its cobble stone streets and colourful houses. At Varenna you can visit the nice gardens of Villa Monastero  open from 9.30 till 19.00. Last ferry back to Menaggio at 19.40

Santuario della Beata Vergine del Soccorso, Ossuccio

From home you can walk to the Santuario della Madonna del Soccorso (45 min one way) along the famous lane with the 14 chapels dedicated to the rosary, with life size statues out of terracotta of the 17th century, monument of the Human Inheritance.

Get to know the northern part of Como lake

Catch the bus line C10 to Dongo (Colico direction), the town where Mussolini was captured in 1945 by the local partisans. Get off at Piazza Parracchini where Palazzo Manzi stands. Here you can visit the Museum dedicated to the end of the Second World War. From Piazza Parracchini walk along via del Mercato and just past a portico, turn right onto via Osteria that leads into the historical centre of Dongo. Back in Piazza Paracchini follow via Roma and via tre Pievi and you reach the Franciscan Monastary of the Madonna delle Lacrime of the 16th century. Just past the monastery turn right into via Bellisini. that leads to the parish church of S. Stefano. Here a   lovely  lake side  walk (1 h ). connecting Dongo with Gravedona  starts with beautiful views of the northern lake area. 
At Gravedona visit the beautiful Romanesque church S. Maria del Tiglio and the old town centre. Walk up to the church of  S. Maria delle Grazie and to the church S. Gusmeo  from where you have a nice view of the lake. Boat back from Gravedona to Lenno or C10 bus (Como direction).

Cable car ride to Pigra - Argegno

Take C10 bus to  Argegno (Como direction). Get off at the bus stop in front of the cable car station (funivia) ask the driver.  Mind the cable car is closed from 11.30 till 14.00. The climb by cable car to Pigra, a small mountain village on a green plateau, affords splendid views of the lake and surrounding hills. The cable car links the lake to Pigra in about 5 minutes with a difference in altitude of 600 metres and a maximum gradient of 95%.  From Pigra you can do the lovely 2 hour walk down to Colonno (only for trained hikers, leaflet available) and come back by bus C10 to Ossuccio (Colico direction).
Back at Argegno from the central Piazza Roma walk to the small mediaeval bridge. From here, the 40-minute walk to the 17th-century Church of Saint Anna starts. Wonderful lake view. Back by bus to Ossuccio (Colico direction). 

Discover Como

Take the bus C10 to Como (get off at the bus station). Visit the antique centre within its medieval walls rich in art treasures such as the cathedral and the Romanesque churches. Ask for the map and the sites of Como at the local tourist office. Do the lovely walk from Piazza Cavour along the lake side past the beautiful neoclassical villas of Como to Villa Olmo.Take the funicular to Brunate and enjoy the view of the city and the surrounding mountains. Market on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning. From Como take the boat at 15.20 to Lenno. This wonderful boat trip gives you the possibility to enjoy the beautiful scenery from the lake and see the splendid villas surrounded by their lovely gardens woven into the landscape.

Porlezza and Valsolda

Take C10 bus to Menaggio (Colico direction), then at 10.40 take the bus line C12 that runs through the Menaggio Valley to Porlezza on lake Lugano (12 km). Have a stroll along the nice lake side promenade where on Saturday there is a market and visit the small centre of Porlezza. At 14.00 take the scenic bus ride from Porlezza with bus line C12 direction Dasio as far as Castello Valsolda. This beautiful village is named in memory of the medieval fortress that overhung on a rocky spur. Now some entry portals remain. Not to be missed is the S. Martino church with beautiful frescos in the vault painted by Paolo Pagani, born at Castello. From the church of S. Martino walk down the road to the left that ends on a parking lot. From the far end of the parking lot follow the steep steps that end on the mule track that leads to the village S. Mamete. Visit its lovely square and arcades overlooking the lake. Bus back from Piazza Roma at S. Mamete to Menaggio at 16.07 or 17.45.

Menaggio and Breglia

Take C10 bus to Menaggio (Colico direction), then take the scenic bus ride from Menaggio to Breglia 7 km (bus line C 13 at 9.30, 10.45). From Breglia you can walk to the Santuario della Madonna di Breglia (15 min) or to S. Domenico (35 min one way) Superb views. Ask for the route description. Bus back at 13.05. Follow the historic itinerary through Menaggio of about 1 hr. (ask for the leaflet) If you have children you can ask for the puzzle tour through the town; you can also extend your walk to Loveno with its beautiful villas (at 14.30 it is possible to join a guided visit of the Villa Vigoni) or to the fishermen village of Nobiallo with its leaning bell tower. From Nobiallo you can follow the Antica Strada Regina, the old Roman Road up Sasso Rancio from where you have a beautiful view of Menaggio and on villa la Gaeta, used as a set in a James Bond film.

Bellano and Piona Abbey

From Lenno you can take the boat to Bellano where there is a market on Thursday morning. After your visit of the market walk to the historic centre where in the piazza you visit the parish church SS. Nazzaro and Celso with frescoes of the 15th century. In the same piazza stands the church S. Marta where inside you can see a full size wooden sculptural group of nine figures depicting the deposition. On the side of the parish church a pathway leads to the Orrido (closed from 12.30 till 14.00), an impressing gorge formed by the river Pioverna. At 13.06 catch the boat from Bellano to the ancient Abbey of Piona with its beautiful cloister. Boat from Piona back to Lenno.

Events at Menaggio 2015