THE VILLAGE OF LOVE

A guide to Varenna, a hidden gem on Lake Como with spectacular scenery for unforgettable moments

TEXT Martina Olivieri

With its many colourful houses overlooking the lake, the mountains creating a spectacular backdrop, the picturesque alleys, the panoramic restaurants where you can enjoy a memorable dinner and the wonderful historic villas, Varenna is the perfect place for a dream holiday. This beautiful and picturesque location attracts tourists from all over the world every year who fall in love with the village. It is engulfed in a magical atmosphere, especially at sunset when the warm colours of the lake illuminate the colourful façades of the houses built alongside the shoreline.

Most certainly, one of the nicest ways to reach Varenna is to walk along the Path of Love, a walkway alongside the lake which connects the pier to the village’s historic centre. Only a few hundred metres away for an endless romantic experience. From here, you can admire the lake, the mountains, the little colourful houses at the

edge of the rocky wall and the Castle of Vezio, which dates back to the 12th-13th century and features a majestic tower dominating the village. Walking along this walkway, you can reach the village with its steep alleys and picturesque spots. The heart of the village is its main square with the beautiful Church of San Giorgio, a great example of 14th-century Lombard architecture. Just a stone’s throw away at the opposite side of the square, you can admire the 11th-century Church of San Giovanni Battista, which features well-preserved 16th-century frescoes in the apse and on the triumphal arch. After walking through its most picturesque streets, you will reach Lake Como where you can admire Villa Monastero. It was once a convent of Cistercian nuns and today, it is one of the most popular attractions with its house museum and a beautiful botanical garden

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HOTEL ROYAL VICTORIA PiazzaS.Giorgio,2-Varenna(LC) ph.+390341815111 royalvictoria.com

HOTEL VILLA CIPRESSI Via4Novembre22-Varenna(LC) ph.+390341830113 villacipressi.it

For a delicious dinner: The restaurants of the Royal Victoria Hotel: Royal Victoria with fine dining cuisine and an enchanting lake view, and Victoria Grill overlooking the small square in the historic centre. I also suggest you visit the Locanda Cavallino, the Osteria Quatro Pass, VarennaMonamour, Il Cavatappi and La Veranda dei Pescatori which takes its customers to the restaurant by auto rickshaw to enjoy an unforgettable experience.

which extends for almost 2 kilometres. If you are an art enthusiast, do not forget to visit the area within the villa specifically designed to host temporary exhibitions, where you can discover new artists and pieces of art work.

In the romantic village of Varenna, there are two hotels of the R Collection Hotels Group, the Royal Victoria Hotel and the Villa Cipressi, two of the town’s landmarks and a perfect example of the typical architecture of Lake Como with a sophisticated, private and pleasant ambience. The Royal Victoria Hotel is an ancient patrician residence which has been turned into a very charming and elegant 4star hotel. Its historic furnishings help to create a fairytale atmosphere, also thanks to the lake view admired from its many rooms and suites, as well as the enchanting view of the old village’s square offered by some rooms. The Villa Cipressi hotel is a historic 19th-century residence which features pre-exist- ing 15th- and 17th-century elements, perfectly integrated into the building. The renovation project was able to enhance the rooms and their features from the precious chandeliers to the carved wood furniture in the style of Lake Como to the 15th-century frescoes painted in vivid and deep local colours. A feature which characterises and makes these two hotels unique is their magnificent Botanical Garden, which can also be visited from outside. Hospitality here is an added value, as Lorenzo Pacifico, director of the hotels, explained: ‘Our objective is to guarantee our guests special and personalised stays, as well as a wide choice of dishes. Starting from this year, we have also the new Visteria fine dining restaurant with a spectacular view, which has expanded our gastronomic offer with excellent fine dining cuisine. The season has just begun, but it seems almost as if we are already in the summer; tourists are showing a lot of interest in our hotels and restaurants’.