Nesso – Touring the towns of Lake Como
October 1, 2023
We decided Nesso deserved a little more of an explore than our previous short visit, where we had walked from Lezzeno and taken a brief look at the famous gorge and bridge.  But looking around at the waterfalls, castle walls and winding narrow lanes my FOMO took over and another trip was arranged.  Hopefully this time we would be able to see the bridge without the crowds of naked people. What did we find?
The stripy house
This is the house that we all noticed as we walked down through the town on our first visit.  As it goes it’s an incredibly cute one-bedroom holiday let and stripy on the inside as well.  Added bonus, we had the use of a lake-side garden with loungers and lake access, meaning our town visit also included some very excellent chill time.
Nesso town
Nesso is dramatically split by a gorge (Orrido di Nesso) which runs right down the middle of the town, the water cascading down to Lake Como at the famous Ponte della Civera bridge. Â On our previous visit we were rather crowded out by swimwear-clad people taking it in turns to jump off the bridge. Â Attempt two, and on this occasion there were still some people intent on proving their bravery, but the numbers were now only two. Â A far more idyllic setting. Â However, Nesso is not all about that one bridge:
Don't miss on a wander of Nesso:
- The view of the waterfall running down the length of the town. Â The view-point is not signposted as such. Â We found it walking up towards the castle along an alley on the left. Â Random and it goes to show what you can find on a thorough explore.
- A walk down the old Riva part of town to the “other” bridge, Ponte del lago. Â Less frequented (no-one else was there), but equally as stunning.
The Ponte della Civera bridge. Â Even on a busy day, it’s worth walking down the 340 steps to see the bridge and then look up into the “orrido”- The view from the main road, both up to the multiple waterfalls confluencing into the gorge, and down to the bridge on the lake.
- Walking from Civera bridge along the old road (Via Borgovecchio) to the church of Saints Peter and Paul (Chiesa Santi Pietro e Paulo). Â A Lovely narrow old road weaving between houses to the piazza of the church.
- Walking up into the village along the gorge and Strada Regia for views over the town and lake. Â There are lovely old buildings all around including our lovely stripy house.
A hike from Nesso to Careno
How fortuitous. Â Another ancient village to explore and it’s possible to walk from Nesso along the old Regia Strada. Â The walk was along narrow paths through hamlets and along woodland trails, bringing us out above the lake-side village of Careno.
Total distance – 5.5km with a total ascent of 250 meters, which took us 1 hour 20 minutes to walk. Â A pleasant stroll.
The village is full of tiny alleyways and ancient houses and churches, with sneaky peeks over Lake Como. Â We saw on the map that there was a trattoria in the village, so aimed there for our lunch.
Dining in Trattoria del Porto
As we entered the terrace, the owner explained that “today we are doing fish, is that ok for you?”. Â Well, ok then, we like fish. Â We were seated on a lovely shaded terrace with views of Lake Como and then promptly a bottle of very chilled white wine appeared; “I think you need a glass of white wine…maybe two”. Â Wine was poured and the bottle left. Â Well, ok then. Â Not surprisingly the starter was the mixed lake fish we often chose when out, their version was delicious.
Then followed missoltino with polenta, a dried lake fish famous from the region. Â It has a very intense salty fishy taste, but is something we often have and like. Â “You can eat everything, the head and tail as well. Â It’s up to you, whatever you prefer”. Â Well, ok then, that’s a first, we’ve always cut the head and tail off. Â Did we? Â Of course we did and they were the crispiest parts. Â Delicious. Â Lake perch with sage scented white rice followed. Â He wasn’t joking when he said “today we serve fish”. Â A fixed menu, wine without asking, a fabulous owner who explained the local dishes with pride and we were only charged for what we had. Â They even proffered a Limoncello at the end. Â Well, ok then.
Where to eat and drink in Nesso
Ok, I’ll be honest. Â There are a few bars to get a drink but there aren’t many restaurants in Nesso. Â The one we did try was Trattoria da Eugenio. Â At the top of Nesso, it had a terrace with the most amazing view of Lake Como. Â The restaurant is well known for its grilled meat, but you can also get pizzas. Â Of course we had to start with that lovely Missoltino again…head and tail too.
For more food choices Lezzeno has plenty to offer (see our post) and the bus from Nesso only takes 15 minutes and runs quite reliably once an hour. Â This is how we ended our final night, at Osteria il Governo….very successfully. Â Cheers!
