Lake Como Above Varenna Italy

My day trip from Milan Italy heading north to Lake Como was a spur of the moment decision so I went without much of a plan except to take the train to Como and then ride the ferry from Como to Bellagio and Varenna. There are fast ferries (that make fewer stops) and slow ferries (that make a lot of stops). I opted for the slow ferry, mostly because that was the one that was leaving next! If there is an advantage to the slow ferry, it’s that you get a more close up view of the towns along the way! Despite that advantage, I was freezing by the time I got to Bellagio (my first stop). After a couple of hours here walking around town and yes, eating gelato despite being cold, I caught the ferry to Varenna.

As we approached Varenna, I noticed a castle high atop a hill. For someone who loves a good climb, this was the perfect way to spend my time in Varenna. My lack of planning led to some delightful surprises along the way. But first I had to figure out how to get there. I stopped at the tourist information office at the train station where a surly attendant gave me a map. And off I went. My first surprise was that the hike up to the castle was not just through the woods. There was a delightful little village along the way called Vezio. If I’d been in a car, I could have driven there and walked the short remaining distance. Which is apparently what a lot of people did because despite not seeing anyone on the trail, there were a lot of people at the castle (well, maybe a couple dozen…).

There was quite a nice cafe/gift shop where you purchase a ticket for the castle. Another surprise…..I thought there would just be some ruins to walk around. Once onto the castle grounds you might be treated to a talk (in Italian) and demonstration of falconry. However, to me the highlight was the view! You can see far to the north to the Alps, as seen in this photo, or far to the south along the two southern arms of Lake Como. It’s hard to drag yourself away. After drinking in the view for an hour or so, I made the trek back down the hill and headed off to find a beer before my train departed. Altogether a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. Varenna is definitely on my list for a return trip someday.