Hey friends! I’m back today with another travel diary for you and this is a good one! You may remember that earlier this summer I spent a month in Europe with half the time for work and the other half for play. During that time I went to Lausanne, Switzerland and then met my parents and husband in Zurich, Switzerland. After Zurich, we took the train to Lake Como, Italy (specifically Tremezzo) for three nights and it was incredible!

EAT

It’s Italy – the food was great. I mean, seriously, how can you go wrong? We did take one misstep our first night based on the recommendation of our hotel, but otherwise, we had great meals and snacks. I won’t mention the restaurant our first night because it’s not even worth it, BUT, it was in Bellagio, which is full of other restaurants and definitely worth checking out for a meal or two.

Our second night we dined at the “casual” restaurant at our hotel, L’Escale. I say “casual” because it’s still pretty upscale, but not as fancy as their truly fine dining restaurant. They serve fondue, but we opted for a more traditional Italian dinner instead. The food was great, but we were stuffed! The service was also very good here, but wear bug spray because I wasn’t the only thing eating that night, the bugs loved my legs! This was also the night I wore one of my favorite new dresses! (it’s $11!)

The dinner we enjoyed our final night in Como was the absolute best, maybe the best we had our entire trip. We took a cab from our hotel to a small boat dock, then took a boat over to the Comacina Island which is only inhabited by one restaurant and a small house with a loud dog. It is a popular spot for sightseeing during the day, but the island itself closes at 6 p.m. and is only open to dinner guests with reservations.

The restaurant is called The Locanda and you can read more about it here. I did not take many pictures at dinner because I was too busy enjoying the entire experience. There are only about 10 tables and there’s only one seating per night. Everyone was outside and it’s a set menu, including wine. We had tons of veggies and fresh bread to start with, then were treated to fresh salmon prepared table side (pasta for me because I’m allergic to salmon!), fried chicken, fresh parmesan cheese, and then an incredible dessert and show. I don’t want to give too much away, but this a spot not to be missed!

STAY

We stayed at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo and it was great! It’s stunning and very well appointed. It is also pretty large so if you’re more into small boutique hotels, this one might not be for you. However, it did not feel too big.

Our room was gorgeous and we were treated with prosecco and fresh fruit when we arrived.

We also had an amazing balcony in our room that looked out on the lake pool, one of my favorite things! It was fun to see all the boats coming and going, too.

The hotel has the lake pool, the flowers pool which is a more traditional pool, and then a spa pool which is a hidden gem! If you’re looking for a quiet spot to soak up the sun and relax, then check it out. You can, of course, also swim in the lake but the water was chilly in mid-June.

Two other fun notes about the hotel: They keep a candy bar in the lobby fully stocked with goodies (beware!) and the restaurant near the flowers pool serves really good pizza.

PLAY

My biggest recommendation is that people go to Lake Como to relax. This is not a super adventurous or busy urban place. That being said, you can strike a good balance of exploring and relaxing each day.

Bellagio is a great place to spend half the day. Did you know Lake Como is the silk capital of the world? It is! Bellagio is a great spot to pick up 100% silk scarves and ties for a steal! Bellagio is also just a pretty spot on the lake so it’s worth stopping to enjoy some gelato or a spritz. From Tremezzo, we got to Bellagio via boat and it cost about $12 USD per person, round trip.

Villa Carlotta is also a great spot and was next door to our hotel. My mom and I went in the morning after breakfast and walked all around. There was a nice butterfly exhibit and the gardens are gorgeous. Say hi to the turtles! 🙂

Tremezzo also had lots of cute shops that we popped into one day. We picked up an awesome hand painted picture of Bellagio, I got a cute towel with the recipe for Lemoncello, and I got the most adorable leather clutch for $32 USD!

Have you been to Lake Como?? Tell me all about it in the comments!!