• Lakes

The most beautiful villages on Lake Lugano - What to see

from IN-LOMBARDIA.IT

Among the most interesting and less-visited places for a weekend of pure wellness in a stunning lake setting, Lake Lugano is no less impressive than Lake Como in terms of landscape or literary and artistic charm.

 

A visit to its Italian side offers priceless experiences to those in search of unspoilt scenery and unvisited medieval villages to explore.     
Exploring the villages on the Italian side of Lake Lugano - known as Lake Ceresio - requires more than just a daytrip out of town, as there are so many natural views to be admired and historical riches to be discovered and appreciated. It is no coincidence that Fogazzaro set his celebrated "Piccolo Mondo Antico" (Little Ancient World) in one of these micro-villages, and it is in this very area that we find the unexpected Church of San Martino, defined by art critics as "the little Sistine of Lombardy" because of the incredible frescoes inside.      
As you wander through their narrow streets, traces of medieval art will surprise you at every corner, but this gorgeous section of the lake can also provide moments of peace and contemplation thanks to the natural beauty that surrounds its towns and villages, and the panoramic views of the lake that generously open up.
So let's set off on our tour of the Italian side, to discover the most beautiful villages on Lake Lugano. 
 

 

 

Castello - the Sistine of Lombardy
The inaugural stop on our lakeside itinerary is the small fortified village of Castello, which can also be reached on foot from Albogasio.

Scopri di più
Oria - The hamlet of Piccolo Mondo Antico
Just below the hamlet of Castello we find Oria, another charming village in Valsolda on the Como side of Lake Lugano. Here the main attraction is Villa Fogazzaro Roi, where the writer Antonio Fogazzaro lived for long periods and which in 1896 inspired him to write the famous novel Piccolo mondo antico.

Scopri di più
San Mamete - The village on the water
For the third stage of our tour of the villages of Lake Lugano, we move on to San Mamete, an authentic picture-postcard spot located not far from Castello and Oria. Forming a stunning triangle with the other two small villages on Lake Lugano. .

Scopri di più
Porlezza / Lago di Piano
Let's continue to Porlezza, a popular tourist destination at the north-eastern end of the lake, which can be reached by taking the Strada Statale 340 Regina road to Argegno and then crossing the Val d'Intelvi.

Scopri di più
Claino - The "painted village of Ceresio"
The last stop on our tour among the villages of Lake Lugano, Claino is one of the most interesting hamlets from a historical and artistic point of view. With its mediaeval remains, Renaissance graffiti and more than 40 murals colouring the houses in the centre, it has earned the nickname of "Borgo Dipinto del Ceresio" (Painted Village of Ceresio).

Scopri di più

On the same topic

Show all

5 Thing-to-do in Menaggio

Be enchanted by Menaggio, marvelous town on Lake Como
cosa fare a menaggio lungolago
  • Lakes

Comacina Island

We explore the island of Comacina on Lake Como.
Comacina Island, Lake Como
  • Lakes

Rabbit Island in Lake Garda

A very suggestive island, a small lake paradise.
Discover San Biagio, the Rabbit Island in Lake Garda
  • Lakes

Visit Monte Isola

It is perhaps unsurprising that Monte Isola was given the name it was.
Monte Isola
  • Lakes

The loveliest island in the Lakes

Visit the islands of the Lombard lakes: a dip in little enchanted worlds.
The loveliest island in the lakes: Montisola, Isola Comacina, Isola del Garda
  • Lakes

Centomiglia, sailing challenge on the Garda

Centomiglia: the most important sailing event in Garda and known throughout Europe.
Lago di Garda
  • Lakes

Lake Como Itinerary

Lago di Como
  • Lakes

From Como to Bellagio by Boat

Traveling between the two shores of the lake, between splendid coasts and the majestic frame of the Pre-Alps
Bellagio, Lago di Como
  • Lakes

Dream beaches on Lake Garda

For an escape from the August heat in Lombardy, why not visit these 5 heavenly beaches on Lake Garda?
  • Lakes

Canyoning in Valmalenco

A unique canyoning route in the Alps
Speleocanyoning nel torrente Cormor in Valmalenco
  • Lakes

5 lakes to be explored

Not just big lakes: discover 5 other small stretches of fresh water in Lombardy
Lago d'Idro
  • Lakes

Luino

The tourist boast of Luino is the picturesque and folkloristic weekly market.
The Luino Market
  • Lakes

Lake Como in 5 Villas

Como, Varenna, Bellagio. Go for Villas on Lake Como, discovering enchanted gardens and work of art
Villa Carlotta, Como Lake
  • Lakes

5 Thing-to-do in Lecco

Welcome in the Town of The Betrothed, between Lake Como and the Mountains
Lecco
  • Lakes

Lago Maggiore Old stories

Finds from the Iron Age, evidence of the Ice Age, monuments of industrial archaeology, dolls from the eighteenth century to date: lower Lago Maggiore (the Verbano area)
Lago Maggiore Storie antiche
  • Lakes

Lake Iseo From Shore to Shore by Boat

  • Lakes

5 Thing-to-do in Domaso

An amazing place for your active holiday on Lake Como
domaso cose fare
  • Lakes

Explore Lake Idro and its surroundings

At an altitude of four hundred metres, Lake Idro is a place of peace, nature and history, and is the coolest and most secluded of the Lombard lakes
Explore Lake Idro and its surroundings - in Lombardia
  • Lakes

Boat Trips at Lombard Lakes

Iseo, Garda, Como. Boat trips on the Lombardy lakes offer an alternative point of view. From the lakes to the villages that surround them.
Boat trips at Lombard lakes, an original idea
  • Lakes

Lago di Garda: castles and legacy

A land of pleasure and invasions, the lower Garda area has a wealth of historic sites, with roots dating back as far as the Bronze age
Lago di Garda Tra castelli e vestigia
  • Lakes