Casa Muschialli
Lago di Como
Germasino
Crotto Del Gufo
Across the road from Casa Muschialli, you'll find Crotto del Gufo run by Daria and Ivan - a gorgeous, family run restaurant with a menu featuring typical local recipes and delicious local wine. You'll enjoy spectacular lake views, and in warmer weather, you can dine outside on the spacious terrace. They also have a shop in the mornings with an array of local delicacies.
Germasino
Church of Saints Donato & Clemente
St Donato and St Clemente's Church was built between the 15th and 17th centuries. Inside the church there are beautiful frescoes and paintings dedicated to the Virgin Mary, as well as a marble altar dating back to 1802. Mass times are printed outside next to the front door (which our ancestors carved!) Often Mass is on Thursdays at 5pm but it's always worth checking as it can very week-to-week. The church is normally open during the day to visitors.
Germasino
Walk to Garzeno
If you walk through Germasino village and past the graveyard, you can keep walking up the road for about 20 minutes and then you will come to the next town Garzeno. You can also walk a country route to get there, past the chapel of S. Rocco e Sebastiano to make it a circular hike with a delicious lunch at Albergo de Jean!
There is a well-stocked shop in Garzeno which is open from Monday to Saturday, 8am – 12pm, then 2.40pm – 6.45pm (but it is closed on Monday afternoons) The church is Garzeno is beautiful and always open. There is a very traditional little bar there called Bar Cinese Gianni and also a big hiking hotel Albergo de Jean which is usually open for lunch 12-2 and dinner 7-9. On Thursday – Sunday they do wood fired pizzas but only in the evening. Otherwise they have a good menu of pasta and meat dishes. From Albergo de Jean you can then carry on walking up the hill to the right – following the sign for the Lake Como Adventure Park. Keep walking up the road for about 10 minutes – it is pretty steep. You will then see a sign for Via Motta – at this point go straight on (following the yellow Lake Como Adventure Park sign), a little way ahead you will see a path going down the hill alongside a house with an orange roof, with a sign to Germasino. Follow this rather steep downhill path all the way down to Germasino. About half way down you will notice a little chapel to the left, called the Chiesa di S. Rocco e Sebastiano.
Gravedona, Dongo, Domaso
Lakeside Villages with Ferry Stops
You can get the ferry from any of these lakeside ferry stops. Go to www.navigazionelaghi.it to check the timetable – there are more ferries running in summer. We find that the best way to go is to take the ferry from one of these stops in the morning (usually about 10am) and go straight to Bellagio. Approx 1 ½ hours on the ferry – a very beautiful journey.
From Bellagio you can then get the ferry to other stops on the lake, such as Menaggio, Varenna and Villa Carlotta. However during high season these places can be very very busy and it can be tricky to get back on the return ferry to Bellagio. In which case your safest bet is to stay in Bellagio, have lunch and have a nice look round the shops then a lakeside stroll. Then from Bellagio you can get the fast Hydrofoil back Dongo, Gravedona or Domaso. Usually about 3pm, and takes about 40 minutes (we always find it the perfect place for a post-lunch snooze!!)
Parking for the day is easier in Dongo (go towards the ferry stop and on the right after the bridge you can park) or Domaso (go to the Tourist Information office which is in a car park). Gravedona doesn’t have as much parking for the whole day but is fine for shorter visits.
Tickets: You can get tickets on the day you’re going, just arrive 15 minutes before the departure time and the office will be open. If you come back on the hydrofoil, but have a day ticket for the ferry you just need to pay a supplement. Hydrofoils from Bellagio to Como will likely be packed and often sold out, however the hydrofoil to Dongo/Gravedona/Domaso (it stops at all) can be busy but almost always has space – worth buying your Hydrofoil ticket when you get to Bellagio though and getting to the Bellagio ferry stop 20 minutes before it’s due to depart.
If you wanted a shorter trip on the lake it would be worth getting the ferry to Bellano- it’s only about 30 minutes on the ferry. Check out the Orrido di Bellano – a 15 million year old gorge with a waterfall, accessible by a suspension bridge.
Lake Como Travel has heaps of information about all the lovely towns and villas on Lake Como - a great resource for planning your itinerary!
Gravedona
Lakeside Village
Gravedona is a 15 minute drive from Casa Muschialli and it is a lovely lakeside village with a good selection of bars and restaurants. An excellent spot for a lakeside Aperol Spritz! There is also a shop there, Crai, which has an excellent delicatessen - Warren and I always stop there before our arrival to stock up on local delicacies and essentials.
You can park in the car park in Piazza Trieste next to the Tourist Information Centre - which is well worth popping into as they have a wide array of brochures and flyers for local activities. You can also walk from Gravedona to Domaso - a very lovely lakeside walk (with a little bit of road to walk along). The walk is about 25 minutes. What we often do is park at Gravedona in the morning, get the ferry to Bellagio, then get the Hydrofoil back in the afternoon, get off at Domaso and hire paddle boards for an hour to cool down, have an Aperol Spritz in a beach bar, then walk back to Gravedona - that's my perfect day!
Domaso
Perfect for Watersports
Domaso is a wonderful place to visit and an excellent place for beach bars and restaurants and watersports. We usually go to the Soul Surfer Windsurf Center and you can hire paddle boards, canoes and windsurfs, and book lessons. We found the prices very reasonable.
It can get busy there in the summer months but we’ve been told that you don’t need to prebook paddle boards and canoes, though you might just have to wait 20 minutes for one to be available. Lots of snack bars close by so you won’t be bored! It’s a really beautiful part of the lake and not too busy so the watersports are a great option. You can park next to the tourist centre Infopoint Domaso. There are some lovely lakeside picnic spots here too!
Dongo
Perfect For Hiring A Boat!
At Newton Rent-A-Boat in Dongo, you can book one of their fleet of 25 boats for anywhere between 2 hours and all day, you don’t need a boat license. The team are very friendly, welcoming and give clear instructions on how to operate the boat and the best route to go. You can park there for free. You can sail past Menaggio and across to Bellagio then sail back to the Bay of Piona where you can have a boat picnic and a dip in the lake! You can see the Bay of Piona from the villa - it's the opposite side of the lake to the left. When on the boat, you can’t stop at Menaggio and Bellagio but you get a lovely view!
Hiking
Lots of Fabulous Hikes to Explore
There are many incredible hikes to do in the area - from short hikes to epic all-day adventures. You can hike from the lakeside town of Musso all the way up to the Anello Monte Crocetta and along to the San Bernardo Chapel. It takes around 6-6.5 hours and you can use an app like AllTrails to help with navigation. This hike is not for the fainthearted but my goodness it's rewarding getting to the top and you can look down onto Casa Muschialli (and indeed look back up to the Crocetta when you're back at the villa and enjoying an post-hike dinner on the terrace!!)
Hiking Como Lake Tours
Tailor Made Guided Hikes
For some truly unforgettable hikes, go to Hiking Como Lake and talk to them about booking a hike with their professional guides. Every guide in the team has a deep knowledge of the mountains around Lake Como, so they can tell you about the cultural and natural aspects of the area. They offer hikes for every level of fitness, and can include options such as Nordic Hiking, and they can organise tours which include picnics or lunch in a farm.
Tennis
Gravedona Tennis Club
The Tennis Club Gravedona has three courts, one indoor and two outdoor, and a cafe with a wide variety of drinks and snacks. You can book a lesson with one of their instructors
Wakeboarding
Como Lake Cable Park and Water Park
The Como Lake Cable Park is about 30 minutes drive away, on an artificial lake where you can learn to wakeboard. You are attached to a cable and so, unlike classic wakeboarding in which a boat pulls you, cable wakeboarding allows you to glide across the water with a board attached to an electric towing system. We booked through Holidoit. There is a water park too and a relaxation area so it offers fun for all ages and abilities!
Private Boat Tour
A Luxurious Way To Spend The Afternoon!
My cousin and I had the most wonderful afternoon being expertly toured by Roberto in his luxurious wooden boat. From the opulent comfort of our boat he showed us Villa del Balbinello, which has appeared in films like Star Wars and Casino Royale, Villa Carlotta, Varenna and Bellagio and many more beautiful places - and he told us so many interesting stories along the way!
Roberto: +39 347 3520540
E-Bike Hire, Dongo
A Great Way To Explore The Area
You can hire E-Bikes from E Bike Point Chicco and Rental E-Bike Dongo. Our son Luke says "The bike shop was an incredibly smooth and easy way to hire a bike and have the most incredible day riding down the lake to Como. We enjoyed stunning views cycling through beautiful little towns, untouched by the flocks of summer tourists, while stopping to enjoy a very frequent coffee, pizza or Aperol!"
"We found that hiring electric bikes struck the perfect balance of feeling like you have done a solid day of exercise, while still being able to enjoy a lazy pedal after a pizza lunch! While much of the trip to Como is on cycle paths, there are a few moments where you are on busier roads. so we recommend families speak to the bike shop about the best route for them to take. All in all and incredible way to spend a sunny Germasonian day!!"
E Bike Tour
A Really Fun Active Day Out
We booked an E-Bike Tour on Viator The tour starts in Menaggio and you are taken along the shores of the lake alongside Dongo, Gravedona and Domaso. Weather permitting you can stop for a swim to cool down before being taken to a local restaurant for lunch. The total tour is approximately 4-5 hours, and it involves some cycling along roads so probably not best for beginners, though E-bikes are certainly much easier than normal bikes!!
Museum
End of the War Museum, Dongo
Here you can learn about how Benito Mussolini and the leaders of the Italian Social Republic were captured - and also that Mussolini was taken to an army barracks in Germasino (Read More). The End of the War Museum is a virtual and interactive journey through the war of Liberation fought by the Resistance movement - marking the dramatic end of twenty years of Italian fascism. Do make sure to check the website for opening hours as they can vary depending on the season.
Lake Como Adventure Park
Treetop Fun For All Ages!
Lake Como Adventure Park is about a 15 minute drive from Casa Muschialli, about 800 meters above sea level. It has a wide range of treetop adventures suitable for young children all the way up to brave adults! It consists of 9 courses, divided into approximately 50 different games suspended in the trees (Tibetan bridges, zip lines with lianas, swinging trunks, etc.)
Madesimo
Perfect For Skiing!
Skiing in Madesimo is the quintessential winter activity. The Valchiavenna Ski Area offers 11 ski lifts and 34 ski slopes of all levels, stretching for 40 kilometres from the village houses up to the foot of Pizzo Groppera, at Alpe Motta. The Madesimo ski area allows skiing in the Alps from late November to late spring, with internationally certified racetracks, ski schools for adults and children, and a wide range of mountain huts and dining points on the slopes. A true paradise for skiers and snowboarders.
Piani di Bobbio
Perfect For Skiing!
Only an hour and 15 mins drive from Casa Muschialli, Piani di Bobbio offers 35 km of slopes and 11 lifts including gondolas, chairlifts and surface lifts as well as a ski school, equipment hire, a snow park and showshoe trails that take you up to 1,900 metres above sea level.
Supermarket
Iperal Dongo
The local shops listed above are all great, but sometimes we all just need a big supermarket shop! Iperal in Dongo is only 10 minutes drive away, easy to park and very well stocked with a wide selection of local food, fruit, vegetables and delicatessen counters.
Any Recommendations?
We are always adding to our list so if you find something you think we should include please
email me at lucinda@casamuschialli.com
Thank you!