Moltrasio, Lake Como: the stone village seen from the water
Houses climbing from the lake to the mountain, villas where Vincenzo Bellini stayed and a landing stage minutes from Como. Here it is as I see it, from the water taxi.
Moltrasio, on Lake Como, is one of the first villages I pass when I head north from Como along the west shore, just after Cernobbio. From the water it looks built upwards rather than outwards: the houses start at the shoreline and climb in steps towards the woods. When I go by in my Venetian water taxi, first-timers on board usually ask me what it's called.
Moltrasio from the lake: getting there by boat
Coming from the south, past Cernobbio and the gardens of Villa d'Este, the shore turns steeper. You spot Moltrasio by the bell tower of its parish church and by the villas facing the water, their gardens running right down to the lake walls. Above the village the hillside keeps going: the municipality stretches from the shore up to 1,250 metres.
Moltrasio has its own landing stage, served by the Navigazione Laghi ferries, so public boats stop here too. A private boat or water taxi gives you something else: you slow down in front of the villas, stop wherever you like and see the village from the right angle instead of from a crowded deck. Ferry timetables change with the seasons, so always check navigazionelaghi.it before you set off.
A short history of Moltrasio
This is an old place. Archaeological finds have turned up here, and its hamlets grew along the Via Regina, the Roman road linking Cremona, Milan and Chiavenna. From the 18th century Moltrasio became a summer retreat, and artists and well-known guests followed.
The name everyone links to the village is Vincenzo Bellini. The composer spent time in Moltrasio's villas, and local sources say he wrote parts of his operas here. The mountain above tells a different story: partisans during the Second World War and, after the war, the smugglers known as spalloni, who carried goods on their backs over the trails into Switzerland. The Swiss border runs along the mountain above the village.
Things to see in Moltrasio, Lake Como
- 01The parish church of Santi Martino e Agata
You'll see the bell tower from the boat. Inside are works of art from the early 1500s to the 1700s.
- 02The Romanesque church of Sant'Agata
Higher up, in the hamlet of Vignola. Small, built of stone, with old frescoes on the walls. Worth the walk up.
- 03The lakeside villas
Villa Passalacqua, Villa Le Rose, Villa Salterio Erker: houses that hosted artists and famous guests. Today they are private or run as a hotel, and the best view of them is still from the water.
- 04The crotti and Moltrasio stone
Old cellars built from the local dark stone, pietra di Moltrasio, traditionally used to keep wine cool.
- 05Four themed walks
Water, stone, history and panorama: four routes that link the hamlets from the lake up the hillside. Bring comfortable shoes, because it's uphill.
When to visit Moltrasio
Lake Como is at its best from April to October. My favourites are May and September: less traffic on the water, clear air, the villa gardens either in bloom or turning to autumn colours. If you're around on the last Monday of July, there's the Torno-Moltrasio swim, straight across the lake. In November the village celebrates its patron saint, San Martino.
One detail worth knowing: Moltrasio faces east. The best light on the façades comes in the morning, while late in the afternoon the sun drops behind the mountain and the village falls into shade before the opposite shore does.
Places near Moltrasio
To the south are Cernobbio and Como, a short hop by boat. Heading north you reach Laglio and Villa Oleandra. On the opposite shore, beyond Torno, sits Villa Pliniana, almost resting on the water. With a long half day, the Grand Tour takes four hours to run from the Como branch to the central lake, as far as Bellagio and Varenna.
