Varenna Things to Do

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The church of S Giorgio presides over the main village square (named after the church).

It was started in around 1200, although it has no written mention until 1313, and has obviously undergone many changes over the centuries. But you can still see fragments of its earlier incarnations in the form of frescoes which have been uncovered and one or two chunks of carved stone.

It is probable that the whole church was frescoed between the end of the 1200s and the beginning of the 1300s, and some of these frescoes are still visible. There are saints on the pillars, their narrow faces staring gravely down at the congregation, decorative patterns o the arches and, on the wall facing the altar, a barely-visible depiction of either Hell or the Apocalypse, its dismembered bodies reminiscent of a Hieronymous Bosch painting.

The bell tower dates from the 1600s, when the church building was also extended.

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You could so easily miss this very ancient church.

It's tucked away in the corner of Piazza San Giorgio, almost on the lakeside. No tower, and nothing to see from the piazza apart from a curving grey wall.

S Giovanni dates from at least the 1100s, although was probably built on the site of an earlier Christian building.

It's a small church, and you can only see it by poking your head through the open doorway. There's no access to the interior. But you can see the remnants of some lovely ancient frescoes, one of which (St Christopher) is thought to date from the very early 1300s, more being slightly later and one or two from the 1500s.

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If you are feeling energetic you could spend a lot of time going up and down the numerous stepped and cobbled alleyways which are indicators of Varenna's fishing-village past.

I didn't feel very energetic on my visit, I'm afraid, but did very much enjoy exploring one or two and having a quick look up (or down) several more. I liked the glimpses of real life which they offered..people's washing, people's pot plants, piles of logs for the fire and so on and so forth.

It was nice to see that the vast majority of alleyways were not defaced by graffiti (that is not always the case elsewhere in Italy).

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A good way to spend the day on Lake Como is to get the all day ferry pass and hop around the lake, visiting the other towns. Bellagio is a short ride away, as is Menaggio and Lenno. At each place you will find opportunities to shop, eat, or visit villas.
One of my favorite stops was seeing the Villa Balbianello. I took the ferry to Lenno and from there walked to it. It is a fairly long walk, along the waterfront of Lenno, then a hike up thru the hillside and out to the Villa on the point. Very picturesque. You can pay to just wander the grounds, or pay for a tour of the Villa itself. You may recognize it from some scenes filmed there for Star Wars and Casino Royale Movies.

Situated along the eastern side of Lake Como, the garden is the result of age-long work which transformed the steep slopes into a scenic design.

A very peaceful and relaxing place to wander or sit under the arbors and picnic.

Please refer to my Lago di Como travelogues for more photos.

Varenna is easily walkable from end to end, and the main square is home to Hotel Olived (pictured), and the ferry dock where you can catch a boat to Bellagio (regular departures several times a day). It's a quaint, old-fashioned town that doesn't shout touristy, but caters well to those who are lucky enough to stay here.

Varenna is situated in the centre of the lake and is therefore ideally placed for exploring the lake by ferry/boat. The photo is of my favourite boat 'The Milano' which is classed as the slow boat travelling from Como in the south to Colico in the north and returns daily.
There are a wide variety of tickets available for travel on the lake which your hotel should be able to advise you on.
The timetable or 'orari' can be found at the wesite

http://www.navigazionelaghi.it/italia/navicomo/indicecomo.htm

There is no shortage of magnificent villas along the shore of Lake Como and there is also probably ample opportunity to argue which is the "most magnificent". I'd have to say though, that in regard to structure and setting this one ain't bad! The Villa Monastero was built starting in the 19th century. Located in Varenna just down the road from the Villa Cipressi, this is definitely the star if only based on size. Whereas the gardens of Villa Cipressi are beautiful and charming, the gardens of Villa Monastero are spectacular and somewhat daunting.
Today the villa is owned by the National Counsel for Research (how's that for sounding important and undefining all at once) and provides conference space. The gardens are open to the public and extensive. If you want to see it all you will need to set aside at least half a day. Even then it will likely be difficult to absorb all the formally developed terraced gardens, sculptures and the many peaceful seating areas.