Mariano Comense

Day Trips

Arrive at Mariano Comense’s quaint train station and transfer to your charming B&B in the historic center. Unpack and take a leisurely stroll around Piazza Roma to admire the church of San Benedetto. Pause for a cappuccino at a local café and soak up the Italian small-town ambiance.

Join a guided walking tour through the old town to explore the intricate facades of medieval palazzos and hidden alleyways. Visit the Museo del Legno to learn about Brianza’s woodworking heritage. End the tour with gelato in hand at a sunlit terrace.

Dine at an osteria serving homemade pasta and regional Brianza specialties like brasato al Barbera. Sample a glass of local Franciacorta sparkling wine. Enjoy a moonlit walk back through the cobblestone streets before retiring for the night.

Cycle or walk to the nearby Villa Imbonati Sormani for a morning amidst historic baroque gardens. Stroll along manicured hedges and twisted cypress trees as you read about the villa’s 17th-century origins. Stop by the small chapel for a moment of quiet reflection.

Lay out a picnic under a grove of chestnut trees and sample cheeses, cured meats, and fresh bread from the local market. Wander to the small pond at the garden’s edge to watch dragonflies skim the water. Sketch or photograph the ornate fountains before heading back into town.

Enjoy an aperitivo at a café overlooking the gardens with a spritz or Negroni in hand. Taste cicchetti—small savory snacks—to nibble on as the sun sets. Return to your accommodations for a restful evening read.

Catch the early train to Como and board a ferry for a scenic cruise along the western branch of Lake Como. Pass grand villas and lush hillsides while sipping espresso on deck. Disembark in Bellagio for a morning stroll through its pastel-colored lanes.

Dine lakeside on fresh perch fillets and seasonal vegetables at a trattoria in Bellagio. Wander to the gardens of Villa Melzi for a guided tour of rare plants and sculptures. Take the ferry back to Como in the late afternoon to catch golden-hour reflections on the water.

Return to Mariano Comense and relax with an aperitivo at a wine bar near Piazza Roma. Order charcuterie and regional wine while mingling with friendly locals. End your evening with a gelato or granita in your favorite gelateria.

Travel by regional train to Monza and enter the vast Royal Villa park through its ornate iron gates. Rent a bike to pedal past noble oak groves and the Grand Cascade waterfall. Learn about the Habsburg-Este dynasty at the Villa Reale’s grand museum.

Picnic on artisan focaccia and local fruit beneath sweeping chestnut trees in Parco di Monza. Visit the Monza Autodrome grandstands to glimpse the historic track where Formula 1 races roar. Return your bike and stroll through the English gardens adjacent to the palace.

Savor dinner at a family-run trattoria in Monza serving risotto alla monzese with sausage. Enjoy a digestif outdoors before heading back to Mariano Comense by evening train. Reflect on the day’s royal elegance as you drift to sleep.

Drive or take a short train ride to Pusiano and pick up bikes for a leisurely ride along the Greenway del Lago di Pusiano. Pedal past reed-lined shores and watch migratory birds skim the water. Stop at scenic overlooks for panoramic lake views.

Enjoy a lakeside lunch of focaccia sandwiches and local salami at a family café in Bosisio Parini. Continue cycling through olive groves and vineyards, pausing to taste fresh spring water from mountain springs. Return your bikes and browse a small lakeside artisan market.

Head back to Mariano Comense and unwind at a cozy enoteca over a tasting flight of Lombardian red and white wines. Pair each glass with regional cheese and honey. Stroll home under the glittering stars of the Brianza countryside.

Embark on a guided hike in Monte Barro Regional Park, ascending trails lined with limestone cliffs and forests. Learn about the rare orchids and endemic wildlife from your naturalist guide. Reach the summit for a sweeping view of Lake Lecco and the Alps.

Descend to a rustic rifugio for a hearty mountain-style lunch of polenta taragna and mushroom stew. Explore the 6th-century hermitage and archaeological sites scattered among olive trees. Take a moment to breathe in the crisp alpine air before heading back down the trail.

Return to Mariano Comense for a well-earned dinner at a trattoria specializing in homemade gnocchi with gorgonzola and walnuts. Sip a local Merlot to warm up. Cap off the evening with a mellow passeggiata through the village lanes.

Travel to Como to visit the Museo della Seta and trace the region’s silk production heritage from mulberry cultivation to weaving. Try your hand at operating an antique loom under the guidance of museum staff. Admire ornate silk ties and fabrics on display.

Have lunch at a café lining the waterfront promenade, ordering risotto with salsiccia and taleggio cheese. Wander into Como’s Duomo and appreciate its gothic-Renaissance architecture. Take a scenic funicular ride up to Brunate for sweeping vistas over the city and lake.

Descend back to Marcelo Comense and stroll through Piazza Roma to discover artisan shops selling silk scarves and handmade crafts. Stop for an aperitivo with vermouth and olives before returning to your hotel. Enjoy a final gelato by candlelight.

Head to a nearby family-run agriturismo to meet local cheesemakers and learn about traditional tanning and aging processes. Take a tour of the farm’s pastures where goats and cows graze on aromatic grasses. Sample fresh ricotta straight from the dairy.

Participate in a hands-on cheese-making workshop, curdling milk and forming your own caciotta rounds. Enjoy a leisurely farm-to-table lunch featuring bruschetta, seasonal salads, and homemade vino. Stroll through surrounding orchards and gather fresh figs or pears in season.

Return to Mariano Comense and visit a wine cellar for a guided tasting of regional white and red wines. Pair each pour with aged Grana Padano and local honeycomb. Conclude your earthen day with a peaceful stroll under lantern-lit streets.

Catch the commuter train back to Como and board the historic funicular for a thrilling ascent to Brunate. Enjoy sweeping panoramic views over the glimmering lake and Alpine foothills. Wander through the village’s flower-lined lanes and admire old stone villas.

Savor a lakeside lunch back in Como featuring fresh lake fish and seasonal vegetables. Shop for artisanal silk scarves and ceramics in the pedestrian historic center. Take the funicular again to Brunate for an afternoon hike to the Volta Lighthouse for a closer vantage point.

Return to Mariano Comense in the early evening and freshen up before heading out to a refined trattoria. Enjoy a multicourse degustazione highlighting local mushrooms and chestnuts in autumn or asparagus and artichokes in spring. Toast to your immersive journey as twilight falls.