High in the mountains of Lombardy, twin branches of a majestic lake cut through towering mountain peaks and lay easy beneath the charming ancient villages that surround its shores. The beauty that is Lake Como can scarcely be described in words. The city of Como lies at the southern tip and seamlessly combines old and new. Other towns and villages along the lake’s shore can be reached by ferry or driven to along narrow winding roads. Towns like Bellagio, Varenna or Menaggio, each with its unique charm. Shop for antiques, the silk that the region is famous for, or the local gastronomical products, bounties of mountain and lake. Have lunch in a small family-owned restaurant jammed with locals on their lunch breaks, where the owners will sit at a table beside you after the crowd thins, to eat their own meal—the same delicious fare they served you, of course. Relax at a café along the shore with an aperitivo while watching the boats gently sway in the water. No matter the season, Lake Como has a lot to offer and should not be missed.