Holiday Ayo - Bellagio is located halfway between the two southernmost branches of the lake, and is famous worldwide for its beautiful villas overlooking the water.

Bellagio stands on the promontory dividing the two branches of Lake Como and represents the heart of the lake, the pearl of Lake Como. Bellagio has one of the best views of the lake since the village is located at the center of the Lake where this splits into the two branches of Lake Como and Lake Lecco.

Bellagio is one of the most beautiful places in the region of Lombardy, Italy with a mild climate and naturalistic-environmental characteristics of great charm. Bellagio is sometimes called the 'most beautiful town in Italy'.

About 26 sq. km in area, this ‘pearl of Lake Como was well known from the Roman era, with human presence dating back to the Palaeolithic age. 

The historic village of Bellagio only has a population of around 200, and most locals live in other hamlets and villages on the headland, all grouped under the local authority, the Comune di Bellagio.

With their imposing flows from Valtellina and Val Chiavenna, the great Pleistocene glaciations shaped the present landscape of Lake Como: at least four times the glaciers went south to Brianza.

Villa Serbelloni is a large, grand building on the slopes of the Bellagio promontory. The villa's grounds enclose the wooded hill behind the town, which dominates the headland and the center of Lake Como. The villa building isn't open to the public, but the gardens and grounds can be visited on organized tours, which take place twice a day.

Bellagio has a good choice of fairly smart, decent restaurants aimed at its tourist clientele; as it has a very small resident population you won't find many 'local' eateries. 

You can spend a couple of slow-paced, pleasant days in Bellagio without feeling the need to move on. But the town's position at the tip of Lake Como's central promontory also makes it ideal for boat excursions to the towns on the two opposite shores. A good-value one-day boat ticket for the central part of the lake allows you to cruise around and hop on and off. 

The most convenient airports are Milan Malpensa and Milan Linate. From Malpensa, you can buy a ticket to Como Nord Lago station. Take the Malpensa Express train service and change at Saronno.

This lake is a slice of Italian paradise, and for many people, a visit to Bellagio is the highlight. Bellagio is small and compact. Many of the roads are pedestrian-only, perfect for strolling and exploring.

The Basilica of San Giacomo is a Romanesque church built between the 11th and 12th centuries. It sits right in the center of Bellagio so it makes a quick, worthwhile visit as you stroll through town.