Italian Lakes, Menaggio Italy
April 5, 2024 - by Muriel Dassen
We read somewhere: the lakes of Northern Italy invite you to discover them, conquer them and then fall head over heels in love with them. As the lakes are set in an idyllic mountain and hill landscape, we knew we just had to come here for a motorcycle tour. Lake Como is elongated and splits into two branches and is the deepest lake in Italy and, after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore, the third largest.
From Menaggio as our central point we have 2 beautiful rides here discovering Lake Como, but also Lake Lugano ánd Lake Maggiore.. Of course you can download the GPX / ITN files and full e-books of the 2 rides we have in this tour via our roadtrip planner but you can already find the info in this blogpost.
Menaggio is often named one of the liveliest towns on Lake Como, even one of the most beautiful in Italy and an excellent starting point to discover Lake Como and the mountains that surround it. And because you can also get to Lake Lugano ánd Lake Maggiore the central point for our Italian Lakes tour! These are our tips on 5 things to do in Menaggio.
The beating heart of Menaggio is this Piazza Garibaldi which is located between the lake and the Santo Stefano church, our next stop. And from this piazza you can clearly see that the centre of Menaggio is divided into an upper old part with cosy medieval alleys and a lakeside part, touristy and with nineteenth-century
architecture. So almost 2 different towns in 1.
The square is shaped like an elle and the flooring has geometric designs made with different stone materials and some sections in cobblestones. And it already has some of the finest terraces here in Menaggio! But we want to explore Menaggio before we enjoy the view on the lake.
The Santo Stefano church was built in the 18th century on the remains of earlier Roman buildings, with three naves and frescoes by Tagliaferro and some well-executed artworks by painters of the Lombard and Flemish schools.
It is probable that the Menaggio castle had its origins between the eighth and the tenth century. The site was particularly strategic and its primary function was to
control the transit on the Via Regina from above at the point where the route forked towards the Upper Lake and Lake Lugano. The fortress was almost
impregnable but after centuries it was still destroyed during the occupation of the Rhaetian militias in 1523. So today the “Castello” only gives a faint idea of how it
was in the middle ages. However, it retains the imposing perimeter walls that can be admired in several points. The houses in the upper part of Via Castellini da
Castello follow the original contours of the castle and on the ruins you can now find the Chiesa de San Carlo with an elegant sailing bell tower in Spanish style. A
reminder of the period of Spanish domination in the 15-16th century that can be seen from the centre of town.
On the Menaggio lakeside you can find this Monumento alla Tessitrice, the monument to the weaver, created in 1990 and referred to the monument with the most beautiful backdrop. At the top you can see the silhouette of a weaver at work in negative, while below is a succession of draperies falling to the ground.
But of course the place of interest in Menaggio is its beautiful location on Lake Como. Despite it being said that Menaggio is geared more towards the active than the lazy tourist, you can definitely also enjoy the beautiful views from Menaggio over the lake after a very active ride in a lazy way. You can have a stroll along the lake, sit for a while and enjoy the view of the lake or sit on a terrace enjoying all the deliciousness Italy has to offer overlooking the lake. But, of course, you can also swim in it and go boating. Of course you could rent a boat, but you can also use the Navigazione Laghi's ferries. They are a great means of transport to visit other towns around Lake Como. And taking the ferry across Lake Como will give you the great experience of taking any boat over the lake. It will offer you great views of the towns, the beautiful villas and the impressive nature and mountains around the lake. The services sail very regularly in summer between the main towns, are
reasonably fast and not expensive. You have the choice between a one-way or return trip to a particular place, but you can also take a day pass that allows unlimited cruising between some of the main places on Lake Como if you’d like to visit a few other towns. And on a limited number of routes there are also options for ferries to take your bike across the lake. These ferries operate. You can find out more on the ferries on the Navigazione Laghi website. And YES, it’s also in English.
Although it can get very busy here we think Menaggio is a very cool place as the central point for our Italian Lakes tour.
Recommended hotels:
With free on site – not covered - parking
With bar and restaurant
With swimming pool
In city centre of MenaggioAnnecy
With on site - not covered- parking ánd garage - reservation need and fee applicable
With bar and restaurant
With swimming pool
5 to 10 minute walk into city centre of Menaggio
With free on site - not covered - parking, garage for motorbikes, reservation needed
With bar
10 to 15 minute walk into city centre of Menaggio
With free on site parking
With bar and restaurant
Tea/Coffeemaker on rooms
3 km / almost 2 miles outside of city centre of Menaggio at golf course
Rating on booking.com: Very good 8.1
Parking in front of agritusrismo, but very remote and at dead end road
CAREFULL: access through narrow steep road with hairpin
With bar and restaurant
Cabins in the garden
5 km / 3 miles outside city centre of Menaggio
Ride 1
Lake Como is the second largest lake in Italy after Lake Garda. It is 50 km long and 4.5 km at its widest point, but has 2 branches at the bottom, which makes the route around Lake Como already a 1 days ride, with stops at a few of the most famous towns at Lake Como. Be aware that in summer it does get busy around the lake, so take that in mind when you want to do this ride. The ride is some 210 km / 130 miles.
At this point of the ride we did the Northern part of the lake, already offering some nice riding through the hills rising from the lake and some amazing views
on the Como lake. And just after crossing the river Adda, which fills the lake, it is time for our first stop: a coffee or real Italian cappuccino here in Colico with this
bar at the lake that should be open every day!
Wow, that was a really nice ride, especially the last part with even some Passo’s! And we added a stop in Varenna at the lake again, right in the harbour at the
ferry terminal. Although it is called the sleepy village at the lake, it still can get very busy with tourists, but you will be able to have a nice lunch here at the
lake. And if you’d like to spent more time here in Varenna, you could also take the ferry back to Menaggio, but we still have the Southern part of the lake to
cruise with stops in 2 of the most famous towns at the lake.
The next stop is one of the most beautiful places on Lake Como and often called "The Pearl of Lake Como": Bellagio. We added a bike parking right at the edge of the pretty town of Bellagio, situated at the tip between the lake's tributaries, beloved by tourists for centuries. The centre is a maze of steep streets full of boutiques, hotels, eateries, pretty villas and gardens. And, of course, perfect for a refreshing drink here at the lake.
In Italy you can almost always find a bike parking close to the places where you want to be, also here in Como! Como The pleasant provincial town of Como is located at the South point of the Western leg of the lake. You can wander around in the maze of cobbled streets dating back to Roman times and enjoy the lake views from the promenade. And on the piazza, near the port, you can find the Duomo of Como, a fine mix of Gothic and Renaissance styles with a Baroque dome.
The ride back to Menaggio is still some 35 km / a bit over 20 miles and the GPX file will bring us right back!
Ride 2
We did the whole of Lago di Como in ride 1 and in this ride 2 we are gonna cruise along 3 lakes: first this Lago di Como, but we’re also going to Lago di Lugano ánd Lago Maggiore. So we are going West of Menaggio for a ride of around 195 km / 120 miles. So let’s cruise those Italian lakes.
Our first view on the Lago di Lugano is at the so called Balcone de Italia: the balcony of Italy. It is right at the border with Switzerland so the view is actually on Switzerland. Accept the little part of Campione d’Italia. That is an Italian enclave about 4 square km surrounded entirely by Swiss territory. The town was once a village of fishermen, but today is a tourist site, known above all for the Casino and the sparkling vitality that the presence of the casino brings to the town.
Lago Maggiore is Italy's second largest lake, after Lake Garda: 60-kilometre-over 37 miles-long, beautifully located in the border region of Italy and Switzerland.
The Northern part of the lake is actually situated in Switzerland. And although we will be going into Switzerland later in this ride, we will not get to that part of Lago Maggiore. So let’s enjoy this view!
Lago di Lugano is a highly branched lake, surrounded by numerous mountains going up to about 1,700 m /5577 ft above sea level. So a lot of nice riding to do. And as you would have guessed Lugano is situated on the lake and that’s our next and final stop of this ride. Lugano is often named the most romantic town in Switzerland. The old centre consists of endless cosy streets where you’d could keep strolling. But despite its location in Switzerland it is bursting with Italian spheres. So funnily enough, this place does not feel so typically Swiss at all. It does makes sense as Lugano is the largest city in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino and it’s not that far back to Italy.
Before you will get back to Menaggio at Lago di Como, and the GPX / ITN file will bring you there, we have a view on a 4th lake in this ride. The much smaller, but beautiful Lago di Piano.
Go on your own QUAZY RIDE
You can download the GPX / ITN files of the rides and the full e-books via our roadtrip planner and then we hope you will enjoy the rides you will be doing in this Quazy Rides Italian Lakes tour and your stay in Menaggio.
If you are posting on social media, don't forget to tag Quazy Rides or use the #QuazyRides, because we LOVE to see you having fun with our rides.
