The most famous and enchanting villa is Villa d’Este, constructed on the lake front in 1568 for Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio and projected by the architect Pellegrino Pellegrina, better known as Tibaldi.

In 1815 Caroline of Brunswick, a descendant of the d’Este family and wife of the future George 3rd of England, took residence here and the villa took the name of Villa d’Este. These were years of care and magnificence for the villa and its park. In 1873 it was turned into a luxurious hotel, without losing any of its original characteristics.

Inside it is decorated with works belonging to the French school, statues from the school of Canova, and Andrea Appiani’s decorations. The magnificent park is interesting too, containing the thermal Waterlily by Pellegrino Pellegrini, Ercole’s fountain and Telemaco’s temple.

Another famous villa is Villa Erba, built in the nineteenth century, it’s located on the shores of Lake Como, just outside the town centre. located on two floors joint together by a stairway and a panoramic turret. In the nineteen twenties, the property passed to Carla Erba, mother of the director Luchino Visconti that spent some of his time here in several occasions. Today the villa has a become conference centre.

Other villas that deserve to be visited are Villa Pizzo or Volpi Bassani, built between mid500 and 800, Villa Fontanelle, that belonged to Gianni Versace and Villa Bernasconi, designed in an eclectic Liberty style.

For those who like walking, the panoramic road that leads you up to Monte Bisbino, is simply unrivalled for its scenery that offers a beautiful glimpse of the lake. Along this road, 17 km long, you can visit caves, like the Fox hole (Buco della Volpe), a large cave with big pools and streams, or the Zocca d’Ass under/below l’Alpe di Garzegallo and further up the Sanctuary of the Virgin Mary (Santuario della Beata Vergine).