Bellagio, and its Attractions on the Como Lake's Shores

The popularity and fame of Bellagio, a town which many regard as the most beautiful in Italy has almost eclipsed Lake Como as the point of reference for this particular part of Italy. It seems that every facet of this town's character and appearance has been fine-tuned to create a magical wonderland that seems to represent the Italian dream of many tourists visiting Italy. Around the harbour at night, like the orchestra's of Piazza San Marco in Venice, the visitor is invited to enjoy and indulge in the celebration of Bellagio and "La Dolce Vita".

Apart from its beauty, Bellagio is also an ideal place to base yourself while visiting Lake Como because it's the main hub water transportation on Lake Como. And from Bellagio it's possible to visit all the major attractions of Lake Como by water. You can choose between public ferries or private and luxurious motor launches that conjure up the mystery and romance of the Lakes.

In the centre of Bellagio there is a Tourist Office at Piazza della Chiesa 14 (tel - 031 950204) where you can find useful maps and tourist information for your stay at Lake Como. The tourist office is open from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday until Saturday, and on Sundays it closes early at 12 noon. At the tourist office you can make reservations to visit the Villa Serbelloni and its celebrated gardens. There are two-guided tours a day, which quite often sell-out and so it's best to try to book ahead via the tourist office. At the tourist office you'll also find information about other organized tours of Lake Como and also a list of events taking place during your stay.

Also, on Bellagio, you'll find the Villa Melzi and its beautiful gardens which are open to the public. On the nearby shoreline is the Villa Carlotta whose numerous gardens include rare species of flowers and plants from around the globe, and its interior includes delightful sculptures by Canova arguably the greatest of Italian sculptors can be reached by motor-launch.

If you are visiting the most magical town in Italy, it only makes sense to try to visit the most magical villa in Italy, the Villa Balbianello located between the bays of Diana and Venus enjoys a heavenly location above the enchanting fishing village of Ossuccio. As you make your way around the grounds it seems at every turn you are thinking "It can't get any better", but again and again as you venture through the loggias and terraces down towards the lake shore following the verdant slopes you can't help wanting to stop at the ancient church on the waterfront to give thanks for such incredible beauty.