October colors the towns of Lake Como with calm. In Bellagio, the so-called ‘Pearl of Como’, the air is crisper, the temperatures mild and the summer crowds have faded. It is the perfect time to stroll at your own pace and let yourself be carried away by its serene beauty.
With a privileged location, Bellagio is pure charm. You will come across cobbled streets that descend toward the water, pastel-toned facades, small cafés, artisanal shops and fragrant gardens that overlook a landscape of mountains. The journey here is as spectacular as the destination. A panoramic road skirts the deepest lake in Italy between majestic villas and forests that are beginning to turn golden.
Until the 1920s it was only accessible by boat, and it is no coincidence that it was the Milanese aristocracy’s summer retreat. Right at the point where Lake Como splits into two arms rises Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, a neoclassical palace that seems to emerge from the water opposite the mountains of Varenna, Tremezzo and the majesty of the Alps.
Una de las suites del Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni.
Built in 1850 as a birthday gift from Count Frizzoni to his wife and run since 1918 by the Bucher family, the Serbelloni retains its historic elegance intact. Behind its doors unfold salons decorated with mythological frescoes, Venetian lamps and marbles that gleam under the lake’s light. Everything breathes history and care, every moulding and every gilding is restored by artisans who keep its soul alive.
Among Century-Old Gardens and Lake Views
The ninety suites, many with direct views of the lake, pay homage to the great guests who stayed here. Liszt, Flaubert, Churchill, Roosevelt or Kennedy and artists such as Helmut Newton, who lends his name to one of the most emblematic rooms, with private access to the gardens. Outside, the century-old gardens invite you to stroll among roses and azaleas and subtropical species that prosper thanks to the lake’s microclimate. In this green oasis you will also find the outdoor pool, tennis and padel courts and a small beach with a diving board.
Las vistas al Lago de Como del Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni.
Everything leads, naturally, to Luce del Lago Spa, a space of wellness over 1,500 square meters where silence and relaxation take center stage. Its chromotherapy rituals, bio-sauna, massages and facial treatments with gold and roses combine tradition and science to restore body and mind. Pleasure continues at the table. Dinners at the sought-after Mistral, Michelin-starred, by chef Ettore Bocchia, a pioneer of molecular cuisine in Italy, are pure art, while at Goletta with a more informal atmosphere Italian delicacies are savored.
And when evening falls, nothing better than boarding the hotel’s private boat to discover Villa Carlotta, Villa Melzi or Villa Monastero with dream gardens and the towns that dot the shore. The Serbelloni is an impeccably styled Relais & Châteaux member hotel, but it preserves the warmth of a family home where luxury feels warm and authentic. And that, on Lake Como, is the true privilege.
