LAKE Como has been the go-to destination for the elite of the political and arts spheres for centuries. Its beauty has inspired works from composers like Liszt and Verdi (the latter composed his famous opera, La Traviata, while staying there), and the likes of Wordsworth, Byron and Shelley referred to their enchantment with the lake in poems and novels. The stunning villas that line its shores have even provided the backdrop for such famous film franchises as Star Wars and James Bond.
The lake is lined with ancient towns and villages that have retained every ounce of their historical charm. We based ourselves in the rustic town of Bellagio, where tiny cobbled streets house miniscule greengrocers, restaurants and artisanal producers, packed like sardines in the small, steep area of land between the shore of the lake and the surrounding mountains.
Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni
The streets are so narrow in places that, from the traditional apartment buildings, one can lean out of one’s window and shake hands with the neighbour in the building opposite. Here it feels like time has stood still as you sit in the small town square sipping espresso, eating cannelloni and listening to the church bells.
The swimming pool
Bellagio is also home to the oldest and most renowned hotel on the lake, Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, which, for 150 years, has been welcoming some of the world’s most famous names including Sir Winston Churchill, President Roosevelt, the Rothschilds, JF Kennedy, Mary Pickford, Clark Gable and Al Pacino.
In 1918 the hotel was bought by Swiss hotelier Franz Joseph Bucher and it is thanks purely to its Swiss owners and the protection offered by the Swiss government that the property was spared the looting that other prestigious buildings in the area suffered during Nazi occupation.
It still holds the impeccably preserved interiors and furniture from its opening in 1873 and boasts feats of artisanal skills, including rare French trompe l’oeil painting styles and Venetian Murano chandeliers. Stepping inside is truly like stepping into a bygone glamorous era. The hotel is still owned and run by the Bucher family, who can be seen every day around the property.
Lunch at Mistral restaurant
The hotel has long been renowned for its cuisine and executive chef Ettore Bocchia, widely considered the father of Italian molecular cuisine has been at the helm of its gastronomic restaurant, Mistral, for 20 years. During this time he has pioneered techniques and flavours that are now copied the world over.
Bocchia developed a method for making ice cream within minutes in front of guests using liquid nitrogen – this is certainly one of the show-stopper dishes at the restaurant. But it is his unique understanding of flavours that has made Mistral one of the most celebrated restaurants in the region.
There is also the slightly more relaxed restaurant, La Goletta, which offers traditional regional cuisine in a stylish, family-friendly setting. Not to be missed is the incredibly fresh fish from the lake – of which both restaurants have a stunning view.
The Queen of Sweden suite
The hotel’s spa features an indoor pool, sauna, steam room, separate kids’ indoor pool, a relaxation room and luxurious treatment rooms. The spa therapists use only products by Italian brand MEI whose stringent adherence to natural therapeutic ingredients means that that they are all made from wild-grown, organic medicinal herbs.
The best thing to do while at the hotel is to have no agenda whatsoever but to relax and indulge. Soaking in the magnificent views with one (or two) of the hotel’s outstanding cocktails, partaking in wild swimming in the lake and the incredible cuisine were the highlights of our stay. At this hotel one can truly indulge in la dolce vita.
by Nicola Kavanagh
Nightly rates at Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni start from €705, breakfast included.
For more information, visit villaserbelloni.com/en/