Menaggio Italy...Enjoy Great Panoramic Views of Lake Como Italy
Hailed as a thriving tourist and busy commercial center, Menaggio, Italy is still a quiet and peaceful town located in the central part of Lake Como.
We could just sit for hours by the lakeside promenade enjoying the lovely array of colorful flowerbeds and palm trees. Just grab a bench, and let the cool lakeside breezes and amazing panoramic view of Bellagio and Varenna captivate your senses.
It is also famous for its wide range of accomodation and transportation available. It is a great base to settle in for tourists who want to explore both North and South parts of Lake Como and has especially become popular with British visitors.
Getting Here
 By bus: There is a bus from Milan's Malpensa airport - the C250 - which can get you to Como. Then from Como you can can take the C10 to Menaggio. Schedules at www.sptlinea.it
By train: The Malpensa Express runs from Milan's Malpensa Airport to the Como Nord Lago station from which you can either get on the C10 bus mentioned above or get on a ferry (see below)...
From Bergamo, you can take a train to Varenna (with a change in Lecco) and then take a ferry (see below) to Menaggio.
By ferry: From Como's harbor (close to the Como Nord Lago station) there are fast and slow boats which can take you there directly. Schedules at www.navigazionelaghi.it
Getting here by car
Printable maps of Menaggio
Orientation
Being the curious explorers that we are, we just had to check out every little street of Menaggio, Italy and discovered a big difference between the lower parts and the upper parts.
The lower or lakeside part of this town is bustling with hotels, live entertainment of all types, great restaurants, a peaceful promenade lined with arcaded houses and villas and every other possible business that caters to tourists' needs - yes they've even got mini-golf.
 As you walk upwards it can get quite steep - I even noticed one street made up of over a hundred stairs! Streets become more narrow and cobble-stoned as the town turns back into its medieval past.
As we continued walking, I felt as if I was going back a couple of centuries in time. Here you will notice the walls of a medieval castle, now in ruins, which once extended all the way to the lake.
Best Places to Stay
Hotel du lac is a mid-priced hotel right on the water with a nice cafe on the bottom so you can grab a coffee in the afternoon and some wine in the evening. It is next to the main square which makes it easy to find restaurants nearby. For grand views and stellar service, you could go for the pricey Grand Hotel Menaggio in a prime location overlooking the lake. Though the rooms are quite ordinary and small, the location can make up for it. For budget travelers, fortunately one out of only two hostels of the entire Como Lake is located here. La Primula Youth Hostel is great, offering lots of fun activities, fantastic cuisine, bike and other rentals, and 4-6 bed rooms. An excellent choice for Lake Como accommodation.
When Hunger Kicks In...
Menaggio, Italy is one of those places where you could just walk a little, rest a little, and eat a little, and then wonder how the day went by so quickly. There are fabulous restaurants next to the lake and mid-priced trattorias as you wander about the narrow streets that spider away from the central square.
For hearty dinners with drinks for about €12, try the family-run restaurant in the La Primula Youth Hostel. (closed Nov-mid-March)
Reserve dinner by 18:00 by calling tel. & fax 0344-32356.
Things To Do
Hiking, Biking The best way to begin several hiking, biking trails, ranging from easy to difficult, is to drive up or take the C13 bus to nearby Breglia (749 meters altitude and about 6km away) and follow the signs for trails. Entertainment. ...ranging from live music to cinema. Explore Villas and Churches Its rich history has left behind opulent villas and Baroque churches with impressive paintings.
The road leading south...
Villa Vigoni in nearby Loveno...
The unusual Spanish church of San Carlo in Menaggio Italy's oldest medieval district
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