Tremezzo – Touring the towns of Lake Como
July 31, 2023
Tremezzo appears to be most famous for the Grand Hotel Tremezzo. As you drive through the town, its dominance and magnificence catch the corner of your eye. It’s not just the amazing villa-esque grandness of the building, or the perfectly manicured flower beds elegantly climbing alongside the open stair case. But also as you pass by slowly (allowing for staff crossing the road to assist guests) and take a peek at the underground car-park, you realise you’re looking at Porches, Mercedes, Ferraris and the odd Rolls Royce. Naturally, our car would fit right alongside these (anyone who knows us will know this couldn’t be further from the truth). It did, however, make me want to “stick my head in” and see whether the inside matches the outside. Anyway, I digress, more about that later.
One day in Tremezzo
We’ve taken several trips to Tremezzo now and I think we’ve nailed the perfect day’s itinerary to explore all the sights it has to offer. Anyone visiting who wants to take this tour, do let us know, we are very happy to repeat it many more times (oh no, do I have to drink another cocktail at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo?).
The itinerary for a day in Tremezzo
- A visit to Villa Carlotta
- A wander around the small streets behind the main road (taking in a coffee en-route)
- A walk up to Torre di Rogaro
- Lunch (so many choices)
- A walk along the lake from Tremezzo to Azzano and along the way:
- Parco Civico Teresio Olivelli
- Church of San Lorenzo
- Views of the amazing Villas and Lake Como all the way.Photo heaven
- Museum del Paesaggio del Lago di Como in Villa Mainona
- A stop in the Hotel Grand Tremezzo for a cocktail while overlooking Lake Como.
Villa Carlotta
This is a gorgeous way to start the day in Tremezzo. Villa Carlotta is a late 17th century villa and one of the few on the lake that can be visited.
Villa Carlotta will appeal to anyone who likes to explore at their own pace. The botanical gardens and outside of the building are just as impressive as the array of sculptures and grand interiors of the inside. And the highlight for me was standing on the front terrace taking in the views over the gardens and Lake Como.
Bring your National Trust cards for extra discount, although at 15 Euro for the entrance it isn’t too bad.
There’s a small cafe in the grounds that sells great gelato and we saw several families who brought their own food to enjoy in the gardens. We love options.
Torre di Rogaro
The tower of Rogaro is a medieval tower, which used to belong to the Visconti and was at one time part of a defensive system for the Lake. It stands in an elevated position with impressive views over the lake. The Start point for a walk to the tower is at the Chiesa di San Bartolomeo, which is also worth looking in as parts of the church date back to the 12th century. The path goes up the steps on the Via Selve di Rogaro to the right of the church. It’s a fairly easy uphill walk on steps and a narrow (somewhat broken) path to an amazing view over Lake Como. It takes about 20 minutes of climbing, which on a hot day is no mean feat. How refreshing does that cocktail sound now?
Tremezzo town
We always love an explore around some of the back-streets of a town. Get off the main thoroughfare, take that dark alley (it’s ok to do so in these lovely lake-side towns) and seek out the unfrequented.
Behind the main road that runs along the lake is a labrynth of small cobbled streets with independent shops selling local produce like silk scarves from Como, local limoncello (yes we did), and along the front there is a good selection of places to eat. For a good honest Italian pasta or pizza we really enjoyed the lakefront ‘La Locanda Tremezzo’ and ‘Bar Helvetia’.
For something a little more up-scale we went to Ristorante la Darsena – We’ve driven past this so many times and I’ve always loved the look of the building and the terrace that hangs right over the lake. Last year we made the effort to take a lunch and to sit on that amazing terrace and it did not disappoint. This is a little more fine-dining…no pizzas here. The menu is original. Yes there’s pasta, but something not seen on other menus, very inventive.
Tremezzo Lake-side promenade
Walking from Villa Carlotta to Azzano is just 2km right along the lakefront. But those 2km are packed with sights to see, and it has a feeling of opulence, from the churches to the villas, everything looks very grand. First stop:
Parco Civico Teresio Olivelli
We stumbled upon this on a sunny day in late September. We must have driven past this park dozens of times without realizing it’s there, it’s quite hidden. The entrance is on the Via Regina, virtually opposite the Villa Mainona. Once in the park, we were treated to manicured lawns, ancient trees, a sculptured fountain, a monumental double staircase, an octagonal structure called the Tarocchiera and several stone terraces looking out over Lake Como, perfect for a contemplative moment. Not to be missed, this park can stand-up to many of the more famous villa parks along the lake…and it’s free to visit. Bonus.
The villas and views
On leaving the park at the southern gate the next place to explore is immediately towering over you, the Church of San Lorenzo. Impressive from the outside and extremely ornate on the inside.
The rest of the lakeside walk to Azzano is villa after amazing villa, finishing with the most magnificent of them all, Villa Sola Cabiati
This was an unexpected find located in Villa Mainona. The villa houses a collection of old prints and photos of Lake Como, especially the area around Tremezzo. It’s fascinating to see how it was hundreds of years ago and how it is now. Some vistas and villas look more or less the same, which seems so unlikely in such a changing world and highlights again my thought that parts of Italy still feel like they’re frozen in time. We loved how the rooms are uncrowded and the pieces nicely spaced, allowing us to take our time trying to identify where each print was from and compare to what we know now. Added bonus, it’s only 5 Euros to enter (save your Villa Carlotta ticket and you get a further 20% discount) and very cool inside. On a day of 40 degree heat this was a very welcome relief.
And to finish, that visit to the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, We had a wonder around the inside of the hotel. It really is very grand. But of course the real reason to go is that cocktail on the terrace. We’re worth it (small mortgage required…)
Beautiful area, lovely cocktails and love your dress x