Destination Inspiration: Bellagio, Lombardy, Italy

Where?

Bellagio, Lombardy, Italy.

Why now?

Located on Lake Como, the teeny-tiny Italian town of Bellagio is settled at the tip where the famous lake is cut into two. Here, backed by the dramatic Rhaetian Alps and sprawling hilly hinterlands, its villas with rust-colored roofs and forest-green shutters curve around steep cobblestone staircases. With a full-time population of just 4,000 residents, this sleepy neighborhood is the sort of place where everyone knows everyone.

A day in picture-pretty Bellagio can begin gently with an early morning stroll through narrow passageways, where you’ll find locals carrying baskets of freshly-baked goods and owners of independent boutiques opening up for the day. Before the crowds arrive, visit the 12th-century church of Chiesa San Giacomo to find mosaic work dating from 1900.

Don’t miss

You don’t need us to tell you that Bellagio is best explored from the water, so after you’ve enjoyed hours of sun-soaked cruising, skip to Lido di Bellagio. A beach club restaurant located on the waterfront, it’s also known as the coolest spot in town to sing and dance from dusk till dawn. For a slice of culture, swing by the Melzi Gardens, where the villa – once the summer residence of the Republic of Italy’s vice president, Francesco Melzi d’Eril – is now a museum and the gardens are home to exotic plants, walking trails and Plenty of shaded picnic areas.