Exploring Menaggio - town on the Lake Como site

If you are lucky to arrive with a car, welcome in the area of tiny crooked streets, crazy drivers. If you are arriving without a car, be prepared for maybe arriving buses, so better get a taxi or a private driver.

The city is surrounded by the lake, mountains and breathtaking views of distant mountains of Italy and Switzerland.

"It seems very safe to me to be surrounded by green growing things and water."

Barbara Kingsolver

The area is enjoying mild weather. Winter is not the most pleasant, but months from early spring till late autumn are great for the visit. You can try to get lost a bit in a tiny street, walk on the lakeside.

There is also a small beach Lido where relax and coffee is possible.

The city center has got a smooth atmosphere, gelato, small restaurants, places to stay outside and breath fresh air.

What is nice, is that it is a historical place surrounded by rich nature and the city itself is also full of palm trees and flowers and a lovely atmosphere.

Perfect place, if you like to enjoy a calm area, reading a book and perhaps once knowing the center, heading to small hikes or taking the boat and exploring other nice villages all around the lake. Menaggio is a good spot if you are traveling from the side of Lugano in Switzerland.

This location has a very ancient origin, there were settlements in the Bronze age with its inhabitants with Gaelic origin. In 196 B.C. it was conquered by Romans, and it was a perfect spot for the army, supplying and also for cultivating plants, thanks to its rich natural resources and warm and humid air.

Thanks to Romans, there were built roads connecting important villages and cities. You can still see some parts of the roads alongside the Lake Como. Their important Via Regina was connecting them with the southern territories and many roads that we are using even today are following them.

As it has a great strategic position, which can be clearly seen from the map, in the Middle Ages there was built a castle in its center, and the city was surrounded by walls to be protected. In the 16th century, the castle was demolished and city conquered by enemies.

The beginning of the 16th century meant Spanish rule here, bringing a decreasing quality of life for local inhabitant.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the ruling powers are Austrians, which is bringing an uprising of quality for the city and locals.

In 1805 after the Kingdom of Italy was established, Menaggio becomes the seat of Prefect. In the half of the 19th century, it is becoming a center of Como region, and step by step power against Austrians in the form of Risorgimento is being raised here.

The end of the 19th century means for Menaggio start of the flourishing tourism industry. This comes hand in hand with technological development – steamboat introduced on the lake, building of the hotels. Simply it was fashionable and also affordable for higher classes to travel and to treat themselves with a healthy stay on the lakeside.

You can easily explore Menaggio by yourself.

Another option is getting a guide to introduce you to this city ( to be asked at your accommodation). Another thing which is great if you have a couple of more days here, you can get from here boats to other charming little cities such as Varenna, Bellagio, Como, and many small hidden spots, that are definitely worth visiting.

Useful link :

Official tourism website Menaggio

http://www.menaggio.com/contenuti.php?PADRE=295

Local tour provider

https://lakecomotravel.com/lake-como-italy/

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Photos and text Karolinska 2019

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