Lake Como & the Dolomites in Summer: Our Italian Wishlist for Two
Some places feel like they were made for two. Lake Como, with its stone villas, cypress gardens and wooden boats, is one of them. Pair it with the pale peaks and alpine meadows of the Dolomites and you have the Italian summer we keep dreaming about. This is our future-plans list.
How we'd do it: slow days on the lake first, getting around by ferry and boat between Bellagio, Varenna and the villages of the western shore, then a scenic drive north into the mountains for crisp mornings, long walks and golden light on the rock. Jump to Lake Como or the Dolomites.
Dream stop oneLake Como: villas, boats and aperitivo on the water
Photo: Manfred Werner (Tsui), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped and colour-edited.
Why it's on our list: the lake is all limewash and stone, terracotta roofs and old gardens running down to the water. We'd want a hotel with its own dock, an early-evening boat ride when the light turns gold, and dinners on terraces right over the lake.
Where we'd stay
Where we'd book dinner
Il Gatto Nero · Cernobbio, in the hills above the lake
Candlelit dinners on a terrace with a sweeping lake view; the restaurant itself describes it as ideal for a tête-à-tête. Booking ahead is a must.
Official website · @ristorantegattonero
Ittiturismo Da Abate · Lezzeno
A family-run spot built around fish from the lake itself: lavarello, perch risotto and missoltino. Relaxed and local, and open mostly for dinner.
Official website
Mistral · Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, Bellagio
The hotel's fine-dining restaurant on the lakefront. It's our pick for the big celebration dinner.
Official website
The Dolomites in summer: pale peaks and emerald lakes
Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped and colour-edited.
Why it's on our list: in summer the Dolomites turn green and gold, with meadows full of wildflowers below the pale rock towers. We'd plan mornings on easy trails and by the lakes, long lunches at mountain huts and quiet evenings in a hotel where the view does all the work.
Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped and colour-edited.
Where we'd stay
Where we'd book a table
Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler · Brunico (Bruneck)
Chef Norbert Niederkofler's restaurant, built around ingredients from the surrounding mountains. A once-in-a-trip dinner.
Official website · @atelier_moessmer_nn
Rifugio Scoiattoli · Cinque Torri, above Cortina d'Ampezzo
A mountain hut right beneath the Cinque Torri rock towers. We'd come for a long lunch on the terrace and the view.
Official website
What we'd pack for lake and mountains
A carry-on each, linen for the lake, one dress-up outfit for the big dinner, comfortable walking shoes and a warm layer, because mountain evenings get cool even in summer. Our carry-on-only packing guide covers the rest.
More wishlists: Paris & London and Bali & Thailand. And a trip we have taken: our favourite Greek island, Paros.
Photo credits. Cover: Bellagio from the water, Lake Como, photo by Ray Swi-hymn from Sijhih-Taipei, Taiwan, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped and colour-edited. Other photos are credited under each image. The Il Sereno and Villa Serbelloni photos show the hotels themselves; other hotel sections show their town or the landscape nearby, not the hotel.
Ready when you are
Plan your own escape for two
Our step-by-step guide, from choosing the place to the last dinner, with a printable checklist.
Plan your escape