MENAGGIO: Small, Quiet, Gorgeous

Menaggio enjoys a fabulous location on the western shore of central Lake Como. It has a ferry boat dock which means it has easy and quick connections to all the other major towns in the central part of the lake, some of which are Bellagio, Tremezzo, and Varenna. Additionally, it is the main business center of the area. While I was there, I noticed that there is a plethora of real estate offices, it seems there was one on almost ever street. As a matter of fact, I met with a real estate agent during my visit, more about that in a future blog.

One of the main attributes I appreciate about Menaggio is its waterfront promenade, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful on Lake Como, with lots of blooming flowers and benches for relaxing while viewing the lake. It is also a popular location for wedding photos. Another favorable attribute of Menaggio for me is that it seems much quieter and less crowded than Bellagio, its neighbor just a short distance across the lake. So, quiet, small, and gorgeous is how I describe Menaggio. Just off the waterfront is the main gathering place, Piazza Garibaldi, and the pedestrian-only main street, Via Calvi, which has the tall and handsome baroque bell tower of the church of San Carlo nicely positioned at the end of the street, and in so doing, provides a most dramatic and picturesque vista. Strolling uphill through the city streets is a pleasant experience, especially around the Castello area where can be a few remains of an old castle and the nearby river Sanagra which cascades down the mountainside through the town. At the northern edge of town in the Lido, or public beach, which includes a sand beach, two swimming pools, and a historic early modern Italian Rationalist beach house that contains a restaurant and night club. Being as I am an Architect, I was particularly interested with the design of this building, I find the very early modern architectural stylistic attributes to be refreshingly creative and fun, and is a nice contrast to the a lot of the rather bland other modern architecture you see all over Italy. The beach and swimming pools as well as an adjacent miniature golf course are the favorite and main activities for tourists, especially tourists with children.