Best things to do in Bellagio, Italy - visit the Basilica di San Giacomo. Image of the inside of a church. There are columns along the sides, wooden pews and a bright golden altar in front

9 Things to do in Como with kids

23/07/2017 Mel Comments 0 Comment

We had a few hours spare so decided to stop in Como. Here are some things you can do there.

Como Cathedral (Duomo Di Como)

Image of interior of cathedral. Large arches and columns can be seen — Como Cathedral

The cathedral was built between 1396 and 1770. It is often described as the last Gothic cathedral built in Italy.

It’s free to enter (although they do ask for a 1 Euro donation).

It’s well worth a visit. Pop in and enjoy the stained glass windows, tapestries and beautiful sculptures.

Broletto

Image of arches covering an area of ground, with a few steps down — Broletto

The Broletto is attached to Como Cathedral, so you don’t need to go much further to visit it.

It’s a medieval building, set just lower than ground level with arches holding up the roof.

Within the Broletto there’s a pleasant, shaded area where you can take a break from the heat, sit and enjoy looking out at the square.

Basilica Di San Fedele

Visit the Basilica Di San Fedele to enjoy the painted ceilings, sculpture and impressive bell tower.

Go on the Funicular (Funicolare Como-Brunate)

Going on the Funicular is a great way to see Como city as well as the lake and hills, Funiculars are always a hit with my two year old so we tend to do them when we can.

Shopping

You can find some great places to spend those Euros in Como. As with many of the areas around Milan, the Italian designer label shops are abundant.

There are also many jewellery, art and tourist shops to visit.

Villa Olmo

Visit the beautiful Neoclassical building of Villa Olmo. It’s free to enter and you can enjoy the amazing expansive gardens. Closed on Mondays.

Food

Lots of fantastic cafes and restaraunts with outdoor seating and excellent service.

Walk around old streets

Lovely cobbled streets and quaint alleyways to walk through. Although there are also plenty of flat paths if you’re have a pushchair with you.

Como’s a lovely city, with a great vibe. Id be perfectly happy wandering about for a few hours, eating gelato as I go!

Take a bus to Bellagio

Image of Lake Como — Lake Como from the bus window

If you’re looking for things to do in Lake Como then I’d definitely recommend doing a trip to Bellagio. The bus ride takes an hour and is well worth doing in itself for the beautiful views.

Buses are air conditioned, which is a definite plus in the hot Italian summers. They drive along the lakeshore, so you’ll get gorgeous views of the hills and lake all the way.

In terms of things to do in Bellagio, you can get water taxis to the lake, visit the Giardani di Villa Melzi with it’s beautiful gardens, eat and drink, shop and visit lots of arts and crafts exhibitions.

Click here for the best things to do in Bellagio, Italy

What to do in Lake Como? Take a boat ride.

One lovely thing to do in Lake Como is to take a boat ride on the lake. From the water is one of the best ways to see Lake Como. You can get fast or slow boats, single, return or day tickets depending on what you want to do.