Authentic Italian experiences on Lake Como

What is it about Italy that has drawn visitors from other shores for centuries? Why are people from other cultures so eager to soak up our own? Maybe it’s a secret wish that our legendary lust for life might rub off on them. That they might—at long last—“Be Italian”, as Saraghina sings in the musical NINE. When she dares us to “Live today as if it may become your last!”, she’s tapping into the essence of Italianità so prized around the world: the freedom to savor the moment and the passion—for life! for food! for love! A passion so powerful we can’t keep our hands still.  

At Passalacqua, celebrating the Italian way of life is deep in our DNA. We have built our entire ethos around helping guests embrace their “inner Italian”—carefully curating savor-the-moment spaces inside and out, tables laden with temptations from the Italian culinary canon, made-in-Italy treasures in our Sense of Lake boutique. But perhaps most importantly, we have a range of authentic Italian experiences on Lake Como for our guests. We work with some of the best guides, boatmen, chefs and craftsmen and women in the region, who are as passionate about sharing Italy as we are. What taste of Italy do you crave? Cooking classes? Craft workshops? A ramble through the local mountain trails? As we say in Italy, you have l’imbarazzo della scelta, an embarrassment of riches tailor made for the Italian in you. Here’s a few of the experiences that await you.

Varenna and Villa Monastero

Lake Como has cultural activities galore, and some of the best are off the beaten track. This day trip takes you up the length of the primo bacino, or first basin, passing Villa del Balbianello and beautiful Bellagio before crossing the lake at its widest point. Up ahead, the arched windows and portico of Villa Monastero come into view, a palace filled with the spirits of the nuns, artists and titans of industry who wandered these halls. It has an eclectic mix of architectural styles and exotic species in the garden added over the centuries. A visit of the sacred sights and meandering alleys of Varenna round out the experience, complete with a romantic stroll along the lakeside promenade known as the Passeggiata degli Innamorati. 

Via Linera: From Moltrasio to Carate Urio

With its splendid villas and world-class hotels, it’s easy to forget that for centuries it took back-breaking labor to eke out an existence on the shores of Lake Como—building houses on steep inclines, farming the unforgiving rocky soil, quarrying for Moltrasio stone and Musso marble. This half-day walking tour is an activity that goes deep into Lake Como culture. It takes you on cobbled paths between our own village of Moltrasio and nearby Carate Urio, through alleys barely wider than your arm span and past relics of our ancestors’ endeavors to cultivate beauty amid adversity. All the while, incredible lake views and our licensed hiking guide will be your constant companions. 

Vespa Experience

Ever since Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck daredeviled their way through Rome on a Vespa, this scooter has come to epitomize Italy’s special brand of cool. In this experience, you and your two-up partner will strap on helmets and hop on an original Vespa 125 Primavera, what the New York Times calls “the most completely Italian product since the Roman Chariot.” Then, with that telltale buzz in your ears, you’ll head off through picturesque villages and winding roads, taking in the lake views, stopping streetside for a quick caffé or meep-meeping your way through traffic just like Gregory Peck—this experience is as authentically Italian as they get. 

Painting Class

Artists of all descriptions have flocked to Lake Como’s shores in search of inspiration—composers like Bellini or authors like Manzoni. But it is perhaps the visual artists who feel the greatest attraction to this unparalleled landscape, where the lake, the sky and our all-pervading sunlight combine to form their own work of art. In this Lake Como craft workshop, you’ll be paired with an award-winning local artist for an alfresco painting lesson on the grounds of Passalacqua. The inspiration is all around—lake views, the lush landscaping and architectural features—now it’s up to you to create the ultimate keepsake from your stay on the lake. 

Italian Cooking Classes

Italian food is one of the world’s favorite cuisines and the inspiration for millions of travelers to the Bel Paese. What makes the popularity of our food so remarkable is its relative simplicity: You start with a few, high-quality, preferably local ingredients, add centuries of tradition, a pinch of regional pride, a dash of Mamma’s love—and ecco!—both body and soul get the nourishment they crave. At Passalacqua, we have a range of culinary experiences to choose from, whether it’s the weekly gelato classes with our resident gelataia, a cocktail class with our mixologist or wine tasting in our cozy cellars. You can also join a master pizzaiolo for a pizza-making class (feeble attempts at tossing the dough included!) and eat it straight from the wood-fired oven, or you can cook an entire meal just like Mamma used to make. What makes this the ultimate in Italian cuisine—besides food prepared lovingly by hand using traditional family recipes and local ingredients—is sitting down to a meal around a well-laid table with family and friends.

Experience the City of Como 

Como city is home to many of our favorite cultural activities on Lake Como, whether it is a behind the scenes tour of the Teatro Sociale, called the “mini Scala” after Milan’s opera house, or a food tour of the town’s best artisanal treats. One of our favorite guided tours focuses on Como’s long tradition of silk production and how it shaped the area. From cultivating mulberry trees in the 15th century to the beginnings of industrial silk production in the 18th century through today, Como has been synonymous with high-quality, creative silk production. This experience takes you to the Museo della Seta for some hands-on history and to local silk shops, stopping in between to see the famous architectural and cultural highlights made possible by the prosperity of the silk trade. Back at Passalacqua, our very own Sense of Lake boutique offers stunning silk delights from famous local brands, like the scarves by Mantero or the pajamas by For Restless Sleepers, each in limited edition collections designed specifically for us.