Lake Como, worth knowing.

Fun facts about Lake Como

1. 1Just south of Varenna runs the Fiumelatte, the 'milk river'. It's only about 250 metres long, and it appears each spring around late March, then vanishes again in October. Leonardo da Vinci wrote about it.Source: in-Lombardia; Wikipedia
2. 2Lake Como sits in the Alps, yet it's so deep that its bottom lies more than 200 metres below sea level. Glaciers carved it.Source: Lakepedia; Wikipedia
3. 3Villa del Balbianello has a film career. Anakin and Padme's secret wedding in Star Wars Episode II was shot on its loggia, and James Bond recovers here in Casino Royale.Source: FAI - Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano; Wikipedia
4. 4Lake Como's signature snack is the missoltino: little lake fish salted and dried in the sun on the shore, then pressed into barrels. Slow Food now protects the tradition.Source: ANSA; Wikipedia
5. 5Villa Carlotta was a wedding present. Princess Marianne gave the lakeside villa to her daughter Charlotte when she married, and its gardens now bloom with around 150 kinds of azaleas and rhododendrons each spring.Source: Bellagio Lake Como; Wikipedia

Things to do in Lake Como

• ◦Walk up from Varenna through olive groves to Castello di Vezio, a medieval castle where falconers fly birds of prey and plaster ghost figures haunt the grounds.Source: in-Lombardia; Ecco Lecco
• ◦Above Como there's a lighthouse on a mountain. The Faro Voltiano in Brunate honours Alessandro Volta, inventor of the battery. Climb its 143 steps for a view that reaches the Alps on clear days.Source: Città di Como; Amiamo il Lago di Como
• ◦On Como's lakefront stands a Pantheon-style temple built for one scientist: the Tempio Voltiano, filled with Alessandro Volta's own instruments, including his electric battery.Source: Abbonamento Musei; Wikipedia
• ◦Como is the 'City of Silk'. At its silk museum you follow the whole journey, from silkworm to yarn to hand-printed fabric, among the old looms and machines.Source: Museo della Seta Como; Città di Como
• ◦Seaplanes have been taking off from Lake Como since 1913. Book a sightseeing flight with Aero Club Como and see the villas from above.Source: Aero Club Como; AOPA
• ◦Since 1894, a funicular has climbed from Como up to the village of Brunate, the 'balcony of the Alps'. The ride takes about seven minutes.Source: Città di Como; Wikipedia

Questions to bring to Lake Como

From Sojourn's journeys. Ask one over a long dinner or on a slow walk, and let the place do some of the work.

Going together

• When do you feel most like yourself?
• What does rest actually look like for you?
• What is one thing you wish we did more of?

Going solo

• What is the first thing this place is showing you that you didn't expect?
• What does this version of you know that the home version tends to forget?

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