Ideal for a quiet spring excursion, far from the chaos of mass tourism, Rezzonico is one of the perhaps less known villages of Lake Como and, for this reason, among the most intimate and welcoming. Located on the western shore of the famous Manzonian branch, 13 kilometers north of Menaggio and opposite Varenna (on the Lecco side), Rezzonico is protected behind the Swiss Alps, which frame an enchanted landscape. Stony beach little frequented even in summer, a short lakefront with a small harbor and, inside the village, up-and-down lanes that creep in between arcades and small arches, until reaching the foot of Rezzonico Castle, private property of a French family from over a century.
What is striking about Rezzonico is the tranquility that one breathes when walking at a slow pace through cobbled streets or sitting on a bench and getting some sun by the lake. We suggest you consider this small village of Como if you live in Milan or anyway in Lombardia and, without having to drive many kilometers, you want to spend a day of pure relaxation in an unusual corner of Lake Como. You can also eat excellent freshwater fish, as we recommend (strongly) in the next article: your trip will taste even more delicious!
Rezzonico, as we said, is a rather tiny village, which can be visited in a few hours. Our itinerary starts from a romantic walk on the Santa Maria Rezzonico beach, which is located at the foot of the fourteenth-century castle and can be reached along a stairway that winds through vineyards and country apartments. On the opposite bank we see Dervio and the mountains of the province of Lecco. Going up towards the castle, in front of which there is a large parking lot, you can take two roads. The one on the left leads to the small church of Santa Maria Assunta. On the right, the Contrada Larga, the main street of the ancient complex, leads to the seafront. Taking care not to slip on the cobblestone steps, you can admire the ceramic vases full of flowers, placed on the floor next to the doors of the houses.
Passing under an arch from the very low ceiling and turning the corner on the porch in wooden beams, you reach the marina. Here, sitting on a bench, you can relax in front of the wonderful panorama overlooking Bellagio, the meeting point of the two branches of Lake Como, and take a nice selfie. A scenery so evocative behind you certainly deserves a souvenir photo. Despite, as we said, it’s really tiny, the village of Rezzonico has its reason. Humble in its way of welcoming “niche” visitors, it boasts a strategically privileged geographical position: the famous Villa Balbianello and Villa Carlotta, in Tremezzo, are about ten kilometers further south. Moreover, in Menaggio, ferries leave for the Lecco side and Bellagio. In short, although not very sponsored, Rezzonico is at the center of Lake Como’s tourism initiatives.
To reach Rezzonico, take the Laghi motorway towards Como/Chiasso. At the toll booth, exit at Como and take the Strada Statale 340, which runs along the west bank. From Como to Rezzonico, passing in sequence Cernobbio, Tremezzo and Menaggio, it takes about an hour and a quarter, but time will pass pleasantly: from the window you can admire the Lario in all its beauty, among the most beautiful lake scenery in the world.
