What to visit in Como in 1 day? Discover the city with an official tourist guide

Como what to visit: here are the 5 must-see stops

Few times in my life have I allowed myself the luxury of visiting a place accompanied by a local tourist guide.

I am more of a do-it-yourself tourist, the kind who, map and paper guide in hand, wanders around the city and explores the area on the spur of the moment.

Still, it is nice to at least occasionally indulge in the pleasure of being accompanied among the beauties of a place by an expert.

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All you have to do is listen. She will take care of the selection of things to visit, lead you from one street to another and explain to you what is usually written on brochures, captions and so on.

What remains is the pleasure of being enchanted by the beauties you will admire.

That is why I did not hesitate for a moment when I received Daniela Rampoldi‘s invitation to follow her guided tour of Como with a lively group of French people!

For me, it was like visiting the city for the first time!

So what to visit in Como?

Here is what the guide recommends to visit in Como!

1# Piazza Cavour

Piazza Cavour is the perfect starting point. There, almost as if it were the living room of the house, Daniela welcomes her guests, breaks the ice and gives an introduction to the city, founded by Julius Caesar himself between 59 BC and 49 BC.

Around the square, life flows quietly at the foot of elegant building facades and hotels. In front is the lake, surrounded by its beautiful mountains.

Thanks to the guide, you go beyond what you see and discover that the town’s harbour once stood here.

This fact explains why, after heavy rains, the lake easily floods there. All it does is try to take back a space that has always belonged to it.

This square, surrounded by bars, ice-cream parlours and renowned cafés, is also the ideal place to gain a better understanding of the shape of the lake and the structure of the city, before wandering through its streets.

2# Piazza Volta

After the introductions, we get into the heart of the tour, begin to explore and get to know the places and people who have made the history of this city.

The square dedicated to Alessandro Volta is the perfect pretext to introduce this illustrious Como figure, inventor of the battery. It is certainly another must-see place during your visit to the city.

In Como, overlooking the lake, there is also the Tempo Voltiano (Volta Temple), a must-see if the history of the famous scientist intrigues you.

The guide also mentions it, as well as other attractions in the city that, for reasons of time, are not included in the tour. In this way she certainly whets the curiosity of those of us who listen to her, making us want to come back soon to see the rest.

An excellent move by someone who knows how to do his job well.

3# La Cortesella

This is a real gem, a place well known to those who live here but much less so to those passing through.

It is located just behind Piazza Volta and is the quarter of the city that once, together with Piazza Cavour or rather the port, constituted the commercial heart of Como.

Wandering through its streets, lulled by Daniela’s stories, helps us to imagine what this district, now largely demolished and rebuilt from scratch, must have been like in the past, and to see with other eyes what would otherwise seem to us simply the beautiful facades of ordinary houses.

4# The Duomo

Another absolute must-see in Como is, of course, its Cathedral.

Never has it made such a difference as on this stage to have had an escort to guide my gaze!

Thanks to the guide, it was easy to understand what to focus on among the many treasures housed in the cathedral.

So it is that the dozens of decorations on the façade take shape and the reading of the individual figures allows one to understand the message depicted, namely the passage from earthly life to the Resurrection.

And it is the same for the interior.

The eye is first guided to notice the layout of the cathedral, then to admire the marvellous rose window, then to observe the altarpiece depicting the Adoration of the Magi (by Bernardino Luini) and then the dome, the Altar of the Crucifix (the Christ with a real beard and hair is very special), the splendid white marble High Altar and the Altar of the Assumption, to whom the cathedral is dedicated.

Even recognising the harmonious mix of styles (Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque) is child’s play guided by Daniela’s detailed description.

And could the curious anecdote be missing from the story? Of course not!

On the left jamb of the Frog Gate (left side of the church) is a depiction of an amphibian that, according to folk tales, would mark the point reached by the lake during ancient floods.

It is said that touching the figure of the animal brings good luck and so, in single file, everyone makes the superstitious gesture.

5# The Social Theatre

A visit to the cathedral, if done properly, takes at least half an hour. Leaving the left side, the tour continues around the perimeter of the cathedral.

Again one notices squares, palaces and interesting views.

The tour concludes in front of the beautiful façade of the Teatro Sociale, from where the famous rationalist-style Palazzo Terragni is also clearly visible, and above, the village of Brunate, which can be reached by funicular railway.

Here too, the guide’s tales feed the listener’s imagination.

Even if one does not enter the theatre, one can imagine Giuditta Pasta, the famous 19th century opera singer buried in Blevio, performing on the stage of this theatre. And one discovers that the renowned five-star luxury hotel in Blevio is called Casta Diva in honour of the famous singer who sang this aria from Bellini’s Norma and who, in 1827, bought the villa that has now become a hotel.

It is these details that give colour, shape and life to the places we visit and imprint them in our memory.

For me, it was the perfect opportunity to rediscover the city.

Are you planning your holiday on Lake Como? Hurry up and read my pocket guide full of useful tips!