lake como was an easy 50 minute train ride from milan. we opted to make the town of bellagio our home base so we'd be centrally located during our stay. we found some amazing food and had a blast exploring the lake. here's the bean guide to a dog friendly trip to lake como!
stay
grand hotel villa serbelloni, bellagio
originally a vacation home for a 19th century aristrocrat, the grand hotel villa serbelloni is opulent in every single way. the hotel is set within incredibly beautiful gardens (perfect for pup walks) and inside, murano glass chandeliers mirrors, tromp l'oeil, incredible frescos and gold trim make you feel like you are inside a palace. the service was impeccable. the pool overlooking the lake is gorgeous and there are even buttons located around the property to call for service if your wine glass needs a refill. when wandering around the property, you might walk past suites named for famous past guests, like the jfk suite. plaques give a little bit of history about the suites and when / why they got their names.
poolside bean
eat
the market place, como
we spent a morning in the town of como, which was great for shopping, site seeing and for a beautiful church (according to the humans, no pups in the church, RUDE.) we had one of our most memorable meals of the trip at the market place. not only is this upscale, contemporary resturaunt welcoming to smaller dogs, the humans said the food was incredible. i managed to score some prosciutto and house made bread. expect a 'foodie' experience with unexpected serving methods (tartare in a wafer 'cone'), flavor combos and more. if ever in the como area again, we'd absolutely go back.
il cavatappi, varenna
varenna is a little town across the lake from bellagio, where we stayed, making it a convenient short ferry trip if you want to have dinner in another town. another top meal memory from our trip, we dined outside and had another great meal with local cheeses, meats, and of course pasta. man human shared some of his lamb with me and i was not disappointed. the food and wine were excellent.
pasta pls.
un cappuccino si prega.
do
rent a boat! no, seriously. you don't need a boating license (i <3 italy) - man human found a boat rental company on trip advisor and arranged for us to spend an entire day boating around the lake. we brought snacks, water and a map and had the greatest day floating around, exploring the towns and villas from the lake. lady human and i were skeptical, but it was a highlight of our entire trip.
bean on a boat.
gelato is everything.