Cernobbio Hotels - Lombardy

For those visiting Lake Como, a tour of the elegant town of Cernobbio is an absolute must. Of all the town's elegant lakeside properties, Villa Erba is, perhaps, the most famous. Built in the 16th century as monastery, some three hundred years later, the edifice was transformed in private residence by the family of the film director Luchino Visconti. Today, Villa Erba is used as conference center.

The building of Villa d'Este, with magnificent gardens overlooking the lake, was commissioned by Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio in 1589, and is now home to one of Italy's most prestigious luxury hotels. Cernobbio's glamorous social life gravitates around the town's Piazza Rinascimento, habitual haunt of the rich and famous.

The Church of San Vincenzo, built in the 1700's and restructured towards the end of the 19th century, is well worth visiting, if only for its magnificent baroque altar. The climb to the top of Mount Bisbino, on the other hand, is rewarded not only by a visit to the monastery built here in the 16th century but also by some of the most breathtaking views of Cernobbio and Lake Como.