Hollywood didn’t put Lake Como on the map—it’s been a holiday retreat since Roman times. Its status as a glamorous destination has been cemented by its popularity among jet-setters and A-listers. In 2026, the landscape will be even more luxurious with the addition of two five-star luxury hotels. the Lake Como EditionThe museum is located in a 19th century palazzo just north of Tremezzo. Ritz-Carlton Lake Como Bellagio is a new resort that will occupy a historic 19th-century hotel, the Grande Bretagne.
In Cernobbio to the south, the Miralago Hotel is set to become the Miralago Luxury ApartmentsThe. Villa d’Este Collezione—guests will enjoy concierge services and full access to Villa d’Este’s amenities. The group has made other local investments, including a rebranding and reopening of the hotel in 2025. Palazzo Venezia, a hotel in Como’s Piazza Cavour, as a five-star property–the group also revamped the historic Caffè Cavour on the hotel’s ground floor. Also in Como Mama Shelter The city will soon be able to enjoy the fun, playful energy of this design-forward brand.
Lake Como is also host to a variety of events, both for professional and leisure purposes. From May 15th until 17th, the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este Cernobbio is transformed into a showcase for rare and luxurious classic cars. Lake Como Design Festival The festival, which takes place from September 12th to 20th, includes installations, exhibitions and talks as well as immersive creative presentations in Como and beyond.
Lake Como, however, is not just glitz and glamor. Beneath the polish lies a quieter, more humble side that’s equally compelling: quaint towns and centuries-old traditions of silk-making, cooking, boatbuilding, and wine and olive oil production, plus a history partly shaped by smuggling routes and its role as a Second World War resistance hub–chapters of the lake’s past that still linger.
Here’s a list that includes the most popular and lesser-known things to do around Lake Como.
