Deemed the most beautiful lake in the world, by The Huffington Post in 2014, this 54 square mile body of water is skirted by over 30 towns and villages and is a choice destination for tourists, film crews, and holidaying celebrities alike. One of the most notable of these towns, perching on the South West side of the Larian Triangle, is Bellagio where we spent a sunny Sunday afternoon. Keep reading for some suggestions of what to see, where to wander and eat and how to nab a free parking spot.
What to See
Bellagio is perhaps most notable for the Gardens of Villa Melzi, the Villa was built by the Vice President of Italy during Napoleon's era and was used as a summer residence. This villa stands out from many historical summer residences in Italy that now stand in ruin as it's maintained beautifully, is tranquil and incredibly romantic. The English gardens themselves are dreamy, impeccably clean, well structured and at a slow-medium walking pace can be seen, thoroughly, in around 45 minutes from one end to the other. My standouts are the 'museum' which is not a museum as such but a piece of stunning architecture with gorgeous natural light streaming through the floor to ceiling lead-framed arched windows, at around 1 pm, housing an eclectic and slightly off-skew collection of artifacts. Secondly, the grotto that sits inconspicuously behind the villa itself, with a little pool that catches water droplets, quietly watched over by a Roman bust of Hercules wearing the hide of the Nemean Lion. Finally, The Moorish Pavillion housing neoclassical busts, boasting panoramic views of the lake and creates some perfect photo opportunities. Entrance to the garden costs 6,50euro per person and is valid for the whole day so gives you the freedom to visit in the morning, head into town for some lunch, and come back in the afternoon.
Where to Wander
Once heading into the center of Bellagio you'll be faced with a seemingly hectic town center that is always busy in summer and bustling on the weekends in autumn. The town centre is a typically picturesque amalgamation of cobblestone streets, fading facades of old buildings built resting against the hillside and countless shop fronts adorned with Como Silk, trinkets, jewellery, paintings and a scattering of the odd antique shop; or boutiques aiming at the rich and/or famous set on their next Chanel bag or Italian handmade shoes. Don't miss out on Via Roma that runs parallel to the waterfront and Salita Serbellino which is the widest, sweeping climb lined with restaurants, merchants, and bars but one of those tourist musts of Bellagio. For a leisurely stroll I would suggest drifting with the crowd up and down these winding streets for 40 minutes or so - you'll find endless opportunities for that quintessentially Italian 'wandering cobbled streets' shot (inserted right) and some bits and bobs to splurge on.
The port that sits at one end of town offers ferries to Verenna, Menaggio, and Griante if you've booked a couple of days and want to see more than just Bellagio. Slightly further on along Via Roma from here is the Tourist Information Centre where you can find more information about cruises, speedboat trips and goings-on around the lake.
What to Eat
Only being here for the half day doesn't really give me a great footing to recommend the best of the best however after wandering hungrily, as we usually do, for an hour or so and scouting almost every restaurant and bar we knew what we were looking for: not the typical tourist trap that sells shitty pizza or overpriced pasta but somewhere more genuine, friendly, small and inventive. At the furthest end of the main cluster of town is La Fontana on Via Centrale atop Salita Monastero. This restaurant is busiest between midday and 1 pm so I'd suggest a late lunch at around 2 pm to get a table outside, more attentive service and a quieter dining experience; although, be wary as the kitchen closes at around 3.30pm and reopens at 6 pm for dinner. The menu has a wide variety of local flavours infused across all their starters, primi and secondi dishes and has some great salads if you fancy something a bit lighter. Some of the waiters speak very good English and have great senses of humour and will do everything to accommodate your needs! For starters I had a prosciutto and melon starter which was much larger than I imagined; while my boyfriend ate goats cheese wrapped in bresaola topped with vinaigrette. For mains, I had a mixed leaf salad with walnuts, pears, and parmesan which was a great combination of flavours, light, simple and fresh while my boyfriend ate ravioli filled with beef and cheese in a creamy sauce with (more) beef chunks and herbs. Our bill came to around 60euro which although seemingly a lot made for a two-course meal, two large bottles of San Pellegrino Sparkling water, Espresso's and service charge - it was remarkably cheaper than most other restaurants we looked at and we were so happy with the restaurant in general.
Free Parking
When driving into the center of Bellagio you will find most parking spaces taken and street parking is charged for, prime spaces are reserved for up-market hotels and all spaces are a tight squeeze and you run the risk of being trapped in by a cheeky Italian abandoning their car in front of yours. Obviously these spaces are extremely convenient and available early morning and late afternoon but for free parking, plenty of spaces and more peace of mind that you will actually be able to leave your space head to the east side of the outcrop of land that Belaggio rests on where it is mostly residential areas and private hotels with carparks. We parked on Via Pescallo which was free and mostly empty; we walked across the SP583 to Viale Domenico which leads into town. This walk is about 10-15 minutes and some of the road doesn't have a pavement but drivers give you plenty of space and the roads are relatively quiet so if this is something you're fine with then enjoy free parking!!