Lake Como
Hotels Lake Como
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Like many other Italian subalpine lakes, Lake Como is of glacial origin. During
the quaternary, the whole basin was covered with a huge glacier which stretched
past the Como and Lecco branches as far as Brianza, where it engendered the
still existing moranic hills. The lake filled the area hollowed out by the
glacier, whose slow passage is witnessed by rocks still showing traces of the
erosion an d by erratic blocks, particularly on the rises of the so-called Lake
Como Triangle. Inhabited since prehistoric times, Lake Como has always played a
major role as a line of communication between the northern regions and the Po
valley. Given the strategic importance of the Lake through which it was possible
to reach the Maloja and Splugen passes, for centuries this area had been subject
to invasions and foreign dominations.
With a surface of 142 square meters, Lake Como is the third-largest lake in
Italy, after Lake Garda and Lake Verbano. its peculiar shape - a Y turned upside
down - is due to its three branches: Colico, the northern branch, Lecco, the
south east branch and Como, the south west branch, with a perimeter totalling
170 km; between Come and Argegno, the lake reaches a depth of 410 m (it's the
deepest lake in Italy). The whole lake is surrounded by mountains. The highest
is Monte Legnone (2609 m), over Colico. The only island on the Lake is Isola
Comacina facing the village of Sala Comacina, on the Como branch.
Last century Como gained world fame because of the novel "The Betrothed" by
Alessandro Manzoni, set on the Lecco branch of the Lake.
At Lake Como, there is tourist accommodation available in hotels, farm holiday,
farmhouse, residence self-catering accommodation, b&b, rooms for rent, holiday
homes, camp sites and tourist villages.
Switzerland
Malpensa Airport
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Como and environs
