Menaggio, Lake Como: the west shore town seen from the water
The lakefront promenade, the old town climbing up to the castle and the park of Villa Vigoni, told by a captain who crosses central Lake Como every day in a wooden Venetian water taxi.
Menaggio, on Lake Como, is the town I have in front of me every time I cross the central lake from Varenna or Bellagio. A wide lakefront on the western shore, the bell tower of Santo Stefano, houses climbing towards what is left of the castle. Behind it, a valley opens up towards Lake Lugano. It is a place you understand best when you arrive by water.
Menaggio from the lake: getting there by boat
When I leave Varenna and point the bow west, Menaggio is the first thing you can read clearly on the far shore. First the line of the promenade with the pale facades of the grand hotels, then the bell tower of Santo Stefano. Higher up, above the rooftops, the old village climbs towards what is left of the castle.
The Navigazione Laghi boats call here, and so do the car ferries that shuttle between Menaggio, Bellagio, Varenna and Cadenabbia. There are two landing stages, one for the passenger boats and one for the ferries. On our taxi boat the crossing has a different pace: we slow down off the shore and choose the moment to arrive.
A short history of Menaggio
The old town goes back a long way. The Via Regina, the Roman road running up the western shore of the lake, passed through here. In the Middle Ages a castle stood above the village, guarding a strategic point on the lake's trade routes.
In 1523 the Grisons destroyed and dismantled it, yet stretches of its outer walls still stand in the upper village. Then came the holidaymakers: Menaggio has been a resort for more than a century, and up in Loveno villas such as Villa Vigoni and Villa D'Azeglio were built. Today the town holds the Touring Club Italiano's Orange Flag for quality tourism.
Things to do in Menaggio, Lake Como
- 01The lakefront and Piazza Garibaldi
This is the heart of town. From the promenade you see the outline of Bellagio with the Grigne peaks behind. Along the way stands Francesco Somaini's monument to the weaver, a gift from the Mantero family, who ran one of their oldest silk mills on the banks of the Sanagra.
- 02Santa Marta and Santo Stefano
On Via Calvi, Santa Marta carries the Roman funerary stone of Minicius Exoratus and a carving of the castle that became the town's coat of arms. At the end of the street is the parish church of Santo Stefano with frescoes painted in 1899 by Tagliaferri. Above the Madonna altar hangs a copy of a Bernardino Luini painting whose original is in the Louvre.
- 03The upper village and the castle
Walk up Via Castellino da Castello, past old carved doorways, to the castle walls and the church of San Carlo, which Cinzio Calvi had built on the ruins. On Via Fabbri you will find medieval sculptures and the so-called Fountain of the Saviour.
- 04The bridge over the Sanagra
One of the most charming bridges over the stream that runs through town, with a 1965 relief by Vannuccini in the middle and the small chapel of the Madonna di Caravaggio beside it.
- 05Villa Mylius Vigoni in Loveno
Its park is considered one of the best preserved Romantic gardens in Lombardy. The villa was remodelled in the 19th century by Heinrich Mylius, a Frankfurt merchant, and since 1986 it has been home to the Italian-German Centre. Visits are guided and must be booked in advance.
Visiting days and arrangements for Villa Vigoni and the churches change with the season, so always check the official website before you set off.
Best time to visit Menaggio
April to June, and again September and October, are when Menaggio is at its best: clear air and sharp mountains. In summer the town is buzzing and the lido is in full swing, so it pays to arrive early in the morning or towards evening.
Walkers will find trails in the Val Sanagra and on Monte Grona, and a cycle route runs to Porlezza on Lake Lugano along the old railway line. In winter the town is quieter, but it stays lived-in all year round.
Places near Menaggio
Right across the water is Varenna, with Villa Monastero on the shore and Castello di Vezio on the hill. Bellagio sits on the tip of its headland, while heading south along this shore you reach Villa Carlotta and Tremezzo in a few minutes. We often combine them in one day, as on the Grand Tour or the Full Day Dolce Far Niente.
