castles-and-ruins near Nora

Photo: Ktulu

Como is Lake Como's largest city where you will find shopping, works of art, churches, gardens, museums, theatres, parks and palaces. Places to go inlcude the Duomo, the Basilica of Sant'Abbondio, Villa Olmo, the Volta Temple and Museum, the Teatro...

Historically significant as the location near Musso where Benito Mussolini was captured and executed as he attempted to escape to Switzerland. The Museum of Resistance records events from this tumultuous period....

Dervio lies on a peninsula that juts out into the waters of the lake, situated at the mouth of Valvarrone and the river Varrone. Very ancient in origin, it was an important fortified village since Roman times for its strategic position on the road...

Located up the Grigna mountain, just above the town of Varenna with views of Bellagio and Mennagio. It also affords views of all three branches of Lake Como. A popular visitor highlight is Castle Vezio....

Domaso lies on the west side of the northern lake. It was a fishing village, now transformed into a popular and dynamic tourist area. Domaso is one of the most famous and hospitable villages of the Alto Lario. It is the surfers' paradise, thanks to...

Located on the western shores of Lake Como, the town derives its name from the river that flows from the mountains to the lake. A pebble beach invites water activities like swimming, kayaking, windsurfing and sailing....

A picturesque town on the eastern side of Lake Como featuring restaurants, shops, hikes and a lido beach with pool....

Colico is a town located at the northern part of Lake Como dominated by Mount Legnone. It is characterized by natural attractions as well as those made by man including forts, guard towers and the Piona Abbey. Its location on the water makes it...

Gravedona is situated in an enchanting gulf, protected to the north by picturesque mountains and allocated in a harmonious way, caracterised by small squares, lanes and alleyways. With its churches and monuments, testimonies of a past filled with...

Conveniently serviced by Lake Como's ferries, Varenna is quieter and more laid back than Bellagio, and there are typically fewer tourists. It is a small picturesque 15th century settlement on the eastern shore of Lake Como characterized by colourful...

Its central location makes Menaggio an excellent place to base yourself. The town is characterized by a quaint piazza by the lake with restaurants, cafe's, shops, and a flowered lake side promenade. It’s perfect for an evening stroll. Enjoy one of...

The Tower is located on a rocky outcrop above the village of Spurano and it was an ancient watchtower, which probably dates back to the 12th century. The fortified structure, included in the difensive system of the Comacina Island, was probably...

An ancient palace of the seventeenth century. It belonged to one of the most influential families of Lake Como, the Brentano, who later moved to Milan and then to Germany. It is currently used in part as a city hall where the renown painter Giulio...

Originally a signalling tower, that later became a fortress as documented 1158. There is no information about the proceeding centuries until 1454 when the area fell into the hands of the Republic of Venice and the Adda River became the natural...

The Castle lies on a peninsula jutting out into Lake Como close to Riva Bianca and its namesake beach. Built in the Romanesque period, the fortress was at the focus of several historical events, like the battle between Milan and Como in 1124. It was...

Also called Tower of Barbarossa, stands high over Mandello dating from the twelfth century. The tower has been rebuilt over the years, but retains interesting architectural features like the arched portal, the remains of painted trophies and a...

Volunteers of the Cultural Center Library Bellagio deal with loaning library books and organize various cultural events....

At Mount Cross Ardona (m. 1005), a path splits into two. On the left, is a wooded summit then down along a bumpy ride to the entrance of Castel d'Ardona. To the right, a few bends bring you to same point but the road is much easier (1h 30 'from...

Gate Tower is an imposing fortress, 40 meters high, built in 1192, on the initiative of the mayor Hubert de 'Olevano, to defend the entrance to the city of Como. In the fourteenth century the great tower was flanked by two other pentagonal towers,...

In the medieval center of Villincino, was a fortified town built in the late tenth century. The village was owned by the wealthy family Carpani. The town was destroyed in 1278. The small and picturesque district is accessed by going through a tower,...

The Broletto or "Town Hall" is the most important medieval secular building in Como. The building rises immediately northwest of the Cathedral; representing an almost unique example of the close connection between spiritual and temporal power in a...

Fort Fuentes is a former military fort on the hill of Montecchio or Monteggiolo near Colico, northern Italy. It was built by the Spanish governor of Milan, Don Pedro Enríquez de Acevedo, Count of Fuentes, to defend the northern border of the Spanish...

Fort Montecchio-Lusardi is a military fort situated in Colico, in the province of Lecco, northern Italy. It was built between 1911 and 1914. It is the only Italian fort from World War I which has been preserved intact with its original weapons. The...

Baradello Castle is situated on hill dominating the valley like a stone sentinel watching over the town of Como and Spina Verde Park. The top of the tower provides 360 degree views of the city, the Alps and Po Valley. The fortification was used...

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