Visit Lenno, Lake Como
Lenno is one of the most charming towns on the entire lake. It is located on the western shore, in a deep inlet that falls between the promontory of Lavedo and the tip of Portezza: this latter is also called the Gulf of Venus, because of the great beauty of this location!
Pliny the Younger chose this fabulous place as ideal lakeside location for his wonderful Villa Commedia, as opposed to his other majestic Villa named Tragedia built on higher ground.
Lenno has in fact Roman origins: here Julius Caesar brought Greek settlers from the island of Lemnos. This explains the probable origin of the name. From Lenno begins the coastal area called Tremezzina.
There are numerous splendid mansions in the area, including Villa Cassinella, the incomparable Villa del Balbianello, Villa Monastero, Villa Aureggi, Villa De Herra and Casa Brenna Tosatto.
What to do, to visit and to see in Lenno
Visit Villa del Balbianello
Lenno has a convenient parking area here (45.96981600951852, 9.195475554254074).
Walk down Via degli Artigiani in the direction of the lake, and shortly after you will find the pedestrian entrance to Villa del Balbianello. A pleasant walk of about 1 km will take you to the entrance of the Villa, one of the most famous destinations on our lake.
The last owner, the entrepreneur and famous mountaineer Guido Monzino, collected here the memories of his travels and adventurous life. He was the first Italian to reach the top of Mount Everest and the first in the world to reach the North Pole by dog sleds in 1971, using original equipment prepared by the Eskimos of Qaanaaq.
You can choose to only visit the wonderful park or also purchase admission to the museum inside the mansion. The garden will enchant you: its marvelous details (such as the umbrella-like foliage of the majestic holm oak and the Ficus Repens climbing up around the columns of the loggia) are worth the entire trip to Lake Como.
Lakeside promenade in Lenno
From the Lenno parking lot, drive along Via degli Artigiani in the lake direction until you cross, on your left, Via Delmati. After a few meters the street becomes pedestrian and here is where Lenno's lakefront begins.
Immediately on your left you will see a wonderful mansion, a small clay-colored castle named Villa De Herra.
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Visit the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of Succor
The Sanctuary has very ancient origins, and is part of The Eight Sacred Mountains complex declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To reach the shrine you can park here (45.97343758939607, 9.181253794101737).
Be now prepare for a pleasant walk of about 800 meters, a bit steep, but it’s definitely worth the effort! Along the way you will run into fourteen chapels depicting scenes from the life of Jesus and the Virgin Mary, with 230 life-size terracotta statues.
The chapels were made between 1635 and 1710 by master plasterers of the Intelvi school.
When you get to the shrine, after visiting the interior of the church (it is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.) you can rest and enjoy a beautiful view of the lake center.
Rent a boat and visit Villa Balbianello, Villa La Cassinella and other unknown wonders!
There are lots of unknown jewels on Lake Como that are difficult to reach and visit, sometimes because hidden by vegetation, sometimes because they are private estates built directly on the lakeshore.
Lenno hides authentic masterpieces: marvelous mansions, gardens and nature blend into landscapes that seem to have been designed by a divine hand. The solution is to rely on cab boats or rent a boat. Well, what we recommend is to rent a speedboat and first circumnavigate the promontory of Villa Balbianello.
It only takes an hour to enjoy these masterpieces, and the rental cost is affordable. Besides Villa Balbianello, which will give you truly exclusive perspectives from the lake, you will admire Villa La Cassinella - in our opinion the most beautiful on the entire lake - followed by Villa Parisi, Villa Monastero, and Villa Balbiano.
Finally, you will arrive at Isola Comacina: be careful to stay a bit away from the coast and do not enter the narrow channel, as it is an area with a very delicate ecosystem.
Please, always sail by keeping the boat engine idle, maintain a safe distance from the coast of at least 20 meters and be very careful.
Moorings at these villas are never allowed.
Museum, villas, monuments and sights
Events, festivals and music in Lenno
Beaches and lidos, where to swim in Lenno
Starting from Hotel Restaurant Lenno and the pier in front, here the roadway bends left uphill, but you can chose to cross the small pedestrian bridge and enter the garden of the Hotel San Giorgio to reach the free beach of Lenno, where a kiosk bar is also open in summer. On the far side of the beach, if the lake is low, a small walkway allows you to pass the wall construction and get to the next beach belonging to the adjacent villa. It is absolutely worth a peek.
Best treks and scenic hiking trails in Lenno
If you want to go trekking, hiking or nordic-walling on Lake Como and discover trails above the Lenno mountains, we recommend the team HIKING LAKE COMO. Francesca and Mario are professional and passionate certified guides, as well as enthusiastic local people. Contact here.
How to get to Lenno