First Basin
Como
The city of silk and rationalist architecture, with the lake reaching right into the centre.
December – February
Winter
- Apuntell · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Maurizio Moro5153 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Maurizio Moro5153 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- MaxCat76 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Maurizio Moro · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Maurizio Moro5153 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Emibuzz · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Maurizio Moro5153 · CC BY-SA 4.0
In winter, Como and Lecco offer museums, churches and theatre performances. On clear days, the view from Brunate reaches Monte Rosa.
Almost all the villas with gardens close until March; the botanical garden of Villa Monastero, at Varenna, opens in winter too, on fewer days.
What changes
- On clear days the views reach far: from Brunate as far as Monte Rosa.
- Villa Carlotta and the gardens of Villa Melzi stay closed until spring.
- The centre-lake ferry runs all year, with fewer sailings; the last evening departure is much earlier than in summer.
- From late November to Epiphany Como and Lecco are lit up for Christmas, and in Lecco the Christmas village fills Piazza XX Settembre and Piazza Cermenati.
The snow measured on the mountains around the lake, and the ski areas nearby
What to do this season
1 Dec – 28 Feb
The view from Brunate
From the village, on the clearest days, the view reaches Monte Rosa.
Como–Brunate Funicular25 Nov 2026 – 6 Jan 2027 · Indicative dates
Christmas in Como
Christmas markets and festive lights in central Como.
Christmas in Como: lights and projections7 Jan – 28 Feb
The Romanesque in winter
The Romanesque architecture of Sant'Abbondio, Santa Maria del Tiglio and the Piona cloister.
Piona Abbey
Where to go this season
Where the sun reaches in December
In winter the hours of sun depend more on the mountains around each village than on latitude: between the sunniest village on the lake and the one most in shadow there are four hours.
On 15 December, estimated sunlight varies with the mountain skyline: Brunate has 8 h 20, Lezzeno 0 h. The pale bar shows astronomical daylight; the ochre bar shows the interval when the sun clears the terrain at the calculated point.
- Brunate8 h 20
- Lecco7 h 24
- Sormano7 h 21
- Tremezzina7 h 15
- Malgrate7 h 05
- Bellagio6 h 56
- Sorico6 h 46
- Gera Lario6 h 45
- Carate Urio6 h 45
- San Siro6 h 44
- Abbadia Lariana6 h 37
- Griante6 h 29
- Como6 h 26
- Lanzo d'Intelvi6 h 25
- Sala Comacina6 h 18
- Mandello del Lario6 h 17
- Varenna6 h 11
- Cernobbio6 h 01
- Domaso5 h 59
- Gravedona ed Uniti5 h 57
- Laglio5 h 55
- Dervio5 h 53
- Valmadrera5 h 53
- Lierna5 h 50
- Magreglio5 h 38
- Cremia5 h 38
- Pognana Lario5 h 35
- Musso5 h 24
- Bellano5 h 15
- Menaggio5 h 12
- Pianello del Lario5 h 08
- Esino Lario4 h 59
- Colonno4 h 53
- Faggeto Lario4 h 50
- Colico4 h 47
- Argegno4 h 24
- Oliveto Lario4 h 23
- Moltrasio4 h 22
- Nesso4 h 20
- Dorio4 h 11
- Torno3 h 59
- Dongo3 h 47
- Brienno3 h 30
- Blevio2 h 44
- Lezzeno0 h
The fifteenth of December, computed from the shape of the ground around each village and the position of the sun. Every row leads to its village, where the whole year is drawn.
Experiences
First Basin
Rationalist Como
A morning on foot among the buildings of Como's Rationalism.
2 h 30 – 4 hOpen access
Upper Lake
The Romanesque of the upper lake
Four eleventh- and twelfth-century churches in twenty kilometres of shore.
3 h – 5 hCar neededOpen access
Lecco Branch
The Lecco of The Betrothed
On foot through Lecco to the places of The Betrothed, from Villa Manzoni to the Azzone Visconti bridge and Pescarenico.
2 h – 3 h
First Basin
Como silk
The Silk Museum, the Fondazione Ratti and the weavers' showrooms.
2 h – 4 h
Itineraries
Events
Until10Jan 2027
Di piega in piega: the gesture of cloth
The pleat in cloth, from the making to Capucci's gowns: an autumn and winter exhibition at the Silk Museum.
Silk Museum, Via Castelnuovo 9, Como
Until17Jan 2027
L'altra faccia della Luna
An exhibition at Palazzo delle Paure on the seventies and the utopia of the rock festivals, in pictures by eight photographers.
The Fototeca of Palazzo delle Paure, Piazza XX Settembre, Lecco
Until17Jan 2027
Opera season at the Teatro Sociale di Como
Opera at the Teatro Sociale on Piazza Verdi, with productions from the OperaLombardia network.
Teatro Sociale di Como, Piazza Verdi
Until12May 2027
Theatre, dance and concerts at the Teatro Sociale
Plays, dance and concerts at the Teatro Sociale on Piazza Verdi.
Teatro Sociale di Como, Piazza Verdi
Stories
Feature·2 min
Palazzo Terragni, rationalism beside the cathedral
In 1936 Giuseppe Terragni completed the Casa del Fascio in Como, now Palazzo Terragni: a rationalist building in white marble fifty metres from the apse of the cathedral.
Season·3 min
Lake Como in winter
In winter the museums of Como and Lecco, the Romanesque churches and the Brunate funicular stay open, while almost all the great gardens close until spring. The centre-lake ferry runs all year, with fewer sailings.