Varenna and the lake

The village of Varenna, known for its beauty as the Pearl of Como Lake, is divided in a net of streets that fall steeply toward the lake. Not far from the church of St. George you can glimpse the neoclassical Villa Cipressi and, shortly later, Villa Monastero (whose name is derived from the original use of the building as a place of spiritual retreat). An interesting excursion is to the nearby village of Fiumelatte, named in this way for the white foam of the stream that flows, only in the spring, from a cave into the waters of the Como Lake. You can also visit the Castle of Vezio with its tower, where you can enjoy views of the lake to 360 degrees and where you can meet the falconer, who will show you the birds located in the castle. The Como Lake area has a surface of 146 km and it has a characteristic inverted Y shape. The lake is surrounded by wooded mountains. The only island present in the lake is the Comacina one, located in the Como branch.