Mandello del Lario,
and everything around it

Mandello is one of the larger villages on the Lecco branch, and you can tell: there's everything you need, from the supermarket to the pharmacy, and life doesn't stop when the season ends. It isn't a resort built for tourists, and that's exactly what brings people back.

The lakefront is everyone's promenade, with boats on the shore, gardens and sunsets over the opposite shore. In summer there are several spots along the shore for a swim.

Moto Guzzi was founded in Mandello in 1921 and has never left: the factory is still here, a few minutes' walk from the loft, with a museum telling a century of motorcycles. Check the opening times before you go.

In September, in the years when they're held, the Guzzi days bring enthusiasts from all over Europe to the village: if you want to come then, write to us early.

• The lakefront and the old town, with the square and the narrow lanes climbing up from the water.
• The church of San Lorenzo, the parish church in the centre.
• The sanctuary of the Beata Vergine del Fiume, on the bank of the Meria stream.
• The hamlets on the hillside, such as Maggiana with its medieval tower, with a view over the whole lake.
• The Sentiero del Viandante, the old path running along the hillside of the Lecco branch, above the village.

Varenna is ten minutes away by train: the village with its lakeside walk, Villa Monastero and the ferries to the other shore. From there, a fifteen-minute crossing takes you to Bellagio, and a little further on to Menaggio and Villa Carlotta.

Lecco is ten minutes by train in the other direction: the lakefront, the shops, the market. In Lierna, ten minutes by car, is Riva Bianca, one of the most beautiful beaches on the lake.

From the Mandello pier, in the months when the service runs, the Lake Como boats call: a slow and lovely way to get around. Timetables change with the season.

Mandello sits at the foot of the Grigne, and the mountains start right behind the houses. From Val Meria you can climb towards the Rifugio Elisa and the Grigna Meridionale; the Piani Resinelli are half an hour away by car.

If you prefer level walking, follow a stretch of the Sentiero del Viandante towards Lierna or Abbadia, and come back by train.

A few steps from the loft there are restaurants, pizzerias and bars: no need for the car in the evening. On lake menus you'll find lavarello (whitefish), missoltini (dried shad) and perch risotto.

Just ask: we're happy to tell you where we go, where the fish is best and where it's worth booking ahead.