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Lake & Around

Why Go? Como...... 104 In the shadow of the snow-covered Rhaetian and Triangolo Lariano. . . . . 109 hemmed in on both sides by steep, verdant hillsides, (aka Lake Lario) is perhaps the most spectacular of Abbazia di San . the three major lakes. Shaped like an upside-down Y, meas- Pietro al Monte...... 112 uring around 160km in squiggly shoreline, it’s littered with Lake Como West . villages, including exquisite Bellagio and . Where Bank ...... 113 the southern and western shores converge is the lake’s main Lake Como East . town, Como, an elegant, prosperous Italian city. Bank ...... 119 Among the area’s siren calls are some extraordinarily Lake ...... 122 sumptuous villas, often graced with paradisiacal gardens. Bellinzona The mountainous terrain means that opportunities for tak- () ...... 129 . ing bird’s-eye views of the lake and its towns are numerous. And with a fraction of the visitors drawn here compared to or , Lake Como and its surround- ing area offer the traveller the chance to enjoy a real sense Best Places to of discovery. Eat ¨¨Albergo Silvio (p111) ¨¨Gatto Nero (p114) Road Distances (KM) ¨¨Ristorante La Vista (p121) Bellinzona 91 ¨¨Locanda dell’Isola (p115) ¨¨Osteria del Gallo (p108) Como 31 60 ¨¨Sale e Tabacchi (p122) 27 92 28

Lugano 63 29 32 60 Best Places to Stay ¨¨Avenue Hotel (p199)

¨¨Hotel Silvio (p200) Bellagio Bellinzona Como Lugano ¨¨Hotel La Perla (p200) ¨¨Hotel Gabbani (p201) ¨¨Albergo Milano (p201) Lake Como & Around C omo 101

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