Gravedona ed Uniti | Pic by MaxCat76 - Opera propria, CC BY-SA4, via Wikimedia

"Bellissima sopra tutte le terre del Lario siede Gravedona..." Davide Bertolotti, Viaggio ai Tre Laghi, Como 1825

When we talk about the Northern district of Lake Como, one of the largest and most appealing villages we recommend you to visit is with no doubt Gravedona ed Uniti (just Gravedona from now on). Which is also where - fun fact! - our whole team was born, by the way: one of the biggest hospitals of the province of Como is right there.

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Location and scenery

Gravedona is strategically located halfway between the central Lake Como (Menaggio is at an easy 20 mins drive away) and the vibrant Valtellina, with its wealth of ski resorts, magnificent hiking routes and extraordinary food and wines itineraries.

The scenery where Gravedona lies is just stunning: a large inlet with a spectacular frontal view on Monte Legnone, Piona bay and Valtellina; right behind, there are magical green valleys dotted with churches and unique historic hamlets.

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The wealth of services

But there's more: in Gravedona you can find pretty much all services you may need during your stay at Lake Como. Any example? A modern and fully equipped gym, 4 supermarkets, all kind of shops (from furniture to clothes to shoes to optician), plenty of restaurants (from pizzerias to the so called "crotti" nestled in the hillside), 2 pharmacies, bakeries, even a tattoo center (who knows, maybe you fancy a Lake Como-shaped tattoo while you are here)... and much more!

Art, art, art

From an artistic perspective, the village boasts an outstanding wealth of religious architecture, specifically 12 churches (the highest concentration in the whole Lake Como area!).

Santa Maria delle Grazie monastery | Pic by Stefano Gilardi

The reason for this incredible opulence lies in the spiritual past of this area. Gravedona indeed has always been a strategic spot for the spread of Christianity: together with Dongo and Sorico, it formed the so called Tre Pievi, an independent republic lasting for more than 4 centuries.

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Our favorite churches are with no doubts S. Maria del Tiglio (with its enviable waterfront location and unique mix of white and black marble - look at its miniature here!), S. Maria delle Grazie monastery, and the church of Gusmeo e Matteo, with the awesome frescoes by Fiamminghino.

Chiesa dei SS Gusmeo e Matteo - Pic by FMorbegno

The old town and its romantic corners

The old town is a lively maze of narrow alleys all leading to the blue water of the lake.

The famous lakeside promenade - the former harbor of the village since roman times - is just lovely: in summer, all events take place here.

Lakeside promenade in Gravedona | Pic by Beppe Galbiati

The most romantic spot here is the so-called "Pra' Castello” (literally the garden of the castle), the former square of public meetings: today it’s a breathtaking panoramic spot where enjoying the sunset or the sunrise.

The stunning Palazzo Gallio (built between 1568 and 1587), along the lakeside, is definitely one of the icons of Gravedona: it looks like an elegant fortress with its three towers. It’s open year round and hosts a lot of cultural events, workshops, art exhibitions and concerts

Palazzo Gallio | Image by Witch of the West via Wikimedia

Did you say sport?

Gravedona also means sports activities: there's the athletics track and tennis and football fields in Serenella, next to the wonderful (and expansive!) public beach where you can practice kitesurfing; the municipal swimming pool; the cycle and pedestrian routes that connect the town to Dongo and Domaso along the lake.

Serenella beach in Gravedona | © Lakeside

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If you like hiking, you have to explore Valle Albano: it boasts immaculate valleys, open spaces and panoramic spots. It's a boundary area between Lake Como and Switzerland, connected through the so called S. Jorio pass (used both by smugglers and partisans in the past). Today the peak of the pass (2014 meters of altitude) is the favorite destination of hikers from all over the world.

The hillside soul of Gravedona

And then there's the other soul of Gravedona, the hillside one.

The most interesting hamlet is nestled in the hill above the village of Consiglio di Rumo: Brenzio, a timeless handful of stone houses, old washouses, stone bridges, frescoes, mule tracks. Here you can't really miss the church of San Giovanni Battista, that literally dominates the valley and offers a 180 degrees lake view.

Church of San Giovanni Battista in Brenzio, hillside of Gravedona ed Uniti | Image by Eugenio Gottifredi

Germasino as well is an interesting village - still nestled up in the hillside above Gravedona - from a historic perspective: here you can find the house (the former headquarter of the local Finance Police) where Mussolini spent a couple of hours after being captured by the partisans in Dongo on 27th April 1945. Fun fact: the local dialect in Germasino is considered totally inscrutable even by Lake Como natives! The thing is that the people from Germasino used to emigrate (and then come back of course) to southern Italy and to the UK especially between 1500 and 1700, bringing back an incredible mix of accents and cultural influences.

A not-to-be-missed event

Every year on August 14 there’s the spectacular fireworks show, one of the most renown in the area, together with the traditional parade of allegorical boats: don’t miss it, it’s a truly emotional event.