The "Little Tuscany" of Lombardy and its tourist treasures

Set between the lake and the mountains, Brienno is an enchanted village with traditions that are reflected in its streets, steps, and porticoes, which embrace the charming natural surroundings.   Just over half an hour’s drive from Como, Brienno is one of the most charming old villages in the Triangolo Lariano area, directly overlooking the western side of the lake. It looks out onto the enchanting village of Nesso on the opposite shore, creating an area of pure scenic beauty that becomes even more delightful during the festive season. Brienno is transformed into a kingdom of lights and colours, making the most of its houses, narrow streets, steps, and porticoes providing a delightful sight to visitors coming from the lake.  Admiring it in the evening, from the ferries and boats that take passengers to its shores is a truly poetic, immersive experience. Brienno can be reached in less than two hours with ferry no. 13 from Varenna, or you can hire a boat for the journey and enjoy a more private trip. There are also more expensive options that allow you take a tour of many of the towns along the shores of Como, for a cruise of the villages and their lights. From the old spinning factory to the Church of San Nazaro and San Celso, perched on a rock spur that rises steeply from the lake, Brienno offers stunning views that are enhanced with more and more details as you approach it from the lake.  Once in its streets, you can breathe in the centuries of tradition that accompany its history. The passages, panoramic views and balconies over the lake are brightly lit and even more magical during the festive period, from late November to January, when the markets under the porticoes and Christmas decorations in the streets turn Brienno into an open-air Nativity scene. 

Borgo Santa Caterina is among the most beautiful boroughs in Italy.

Lake Como landscapes, villages & gourmet experience

The  Upper Milanese Park enriches this area with natural vegetation, a regenerating green lung consisting mainly of broadleaf trees, especially oaks such as English Oak and Oak.  These are coppice-governed forests of limited extent, mostly wooded hedges or wooded belts dominated by two exotic North American species: the Robinia and the Late Cherry. Finally, the presence in the undergrowth of some herbaceous species such as Periwinkle is noted.Thanks to the presence of areas of traditional agriculture and rural buildings such as farmsteads and stables, the park is inhabited by the owl, swallow, redstart, bat and other species that would not find a place elsewhere. Also signal the steadily increasing presence of blackbirds, turtle doves, red woodpeckers and squirrels.

Tremezzo, Mezzegra, Lenno, and Ossuccio on Lake Como: four ancient villages in one municipality.

November in Lombardy invites you to slow down, regenerate and discover offline experiences, with art, nature and picturesque villages.

Sites of interest at Tremosine sul Garda

The town's 14th century castle is the largest in the Lomellina area, has a wide moat around it and dominated by an imposing circular tower. The castle now hosts painting, sculpture and craft exhibitions. Antique and vintage modern exhibitions and a permanent exhibition dedicated to stylist Ken Scott are on show at Pila del Castello. Near Sartirana, the Sartirana Lake Nesting Site is a large oxbow lake formed by the meanders of the Sesia river, one of the most attractive and uncontaminated places in Lomellina with an extraordinarily diverse flora and fauna.

Our third stop is in Luino, the urban centre of the northwestern region of the Province of Varese and the main city on the Lombard shore of Lake Maggiore, famed for its historic centre dotted with Art Nouveau buildings and for its delightful lakefront, which extends for almost 2 km to give the city an almost Mediterranean feel.   A strategic starting point for excursions into the nearby mountains and the region’s postcard villages, the town also owes its cultural liveliness to the literary atmosphere that has always hung over it: Hemingway mentions Luino in his acclaimed novel A Farewell to Arms, the town was the birthplace of the poet Vittorio Sereni and the writer Piero Chiara, and was home to Nobel Prize-winning playwright and actor Dario Fo.  What to see and do in Luino:•    A walk along the lakefront is an absolute must in Luino, with majestic plane trees and the beautiful architecture of the palaces marking out the old Napoleonic port.•    Overlooking the lake itself, the 15th century Church of Madonna del Carmine, the 18th century private Chapel of the Serbelloni family and the Palace Verbania, home the Municipal Archaeological and Paleontological Museum. •    You can help but feel relaxed as you wander around the town’s historic centre, with its artisan shops, Renaissance and Baroque palaces and enchanting streets that are waiting to be discovered.  •    The lively Mercato di Luino (on Wednesdays) is a centuries-old traditional market that is an absolute must for any and all visitors.  

Discovering the Lombardy shore of Lake Maggiore, a region characterised by hills, dense reeds, archaeological finds and enchanting villages for you to visit.