Anywhere Italy
Stemma di Varenna

Lombardy · Lecco

Varenna

A fishing village founded in 769 on the Lecco arm of Lake Como, with a steep grid of streets falling into the water.

61 km / 38 mi

Nearest hub (Monza)

693

Population

Apr–Oct

Best time to visit

Why come

Varenna sits on the eastern shore of Lake Como at the point where the lake forks into the Como and Lecco branches, opposite Bellagio and Menaggio. Local fishermen founded the village in 769. In 1126 it was destroyed by Como during the wars between the lake's communes, and in 1169 it absorbed the refugees from the destroyed Isola Comacina. The streets fall in a steep grid toward the water, with the lakefront passerella running between the houses and the lake. The Castello di Vezio, above the village on a spur reached by a 30-minute climb, was a Lombard watchpost reused through the Middle Ages. Villa Monastero, on the lakefront, started in the 12th century as a Cistercian convent and now runs a two-kilometer botanical garden along the shore. The frazione of Fiumelatte hosts one of the shortest rivers in Italy, 250 meters from spring to lake.

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Gallery

10 photos · scroll →

Known for

  • Castello di Vezio

    Lombard-era watchpost on a spur above the village, reached by a 30-minute climb with 160 meters of elevation gain.

  • Villa Monastero

    Former 12th-century Cistercian convent on the lakefront, now a museum and convention center with a 2-kilometer botanical garden along the shore.

  • Villa Cipressi

    Sixteenth-to-nineteenth-century lakefront villa next to Villa Monastero, with terraced gardens descending to the water.

  • Fiumelatte

    Frazione of Varenna with a 250-meter river, one of the shortest in Italy, named for the milky white color of its waters in spring.

  • Centro storico

    Steep grid of stone streets and houses sloping into the lake, with the Passeggiata degli Innamorati running along the waterfront.

When to visit

Best months · Apr–Oct

  • J
  • F
  • M
  • A
  • M
  • J
  • J
  • A
  • S
  • O
  • N
  • D
  • Best
  • Hot or crowded
  • Quiet
  • Mostly closed

April through October is the working season. The ferries from Bellagio and Menaggio run frequently, the villa gardens open in late March, and the lake stays mild enough to swim from June onward. July and August are crowded: 693 residents host thousands of day visitors, and the lakefront fills with photo tripods at sunset. September and early October are the months locals recommend, when light is golden over the eastern shore and the Lecco branch empties. November through March is quiet. Villa Monastero closes, several restaurants shut, the ferries run on reduced timetables, and the village settles into the fog and rain of a Como winter.

How to get there

From Monza, Varenna is roughly 61 km by road. Allow about 52–73 minutes depending on traffic and route choice (autostrada vs scenic).

Drive time to the nearest gateway airports

  • Milan1h 22m
  • Verona2h 30m
  • Turin2h 40m

Elevation 220 m

Reachable by train

Google MapsApple MapsDirections from Monza

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