"At the very end of Lake Como" Top 5 Page for this destination Lecco by leics

Lecco Travel Guide: 62 reviews and 170 photos

This was the stop I made on the way back to Bergamo from Varenna.

The first day of June. Weather: grey, overcast, drizzly, sufficiently windy for me to feel chilly in my t-shirt + cotton jumper + lightweight waterproof. A typical English summer's day really.....

Lecco is a working town. It's not aimed at tourists, it's aimed at the people who live there (47000+ of them). Its fame lies mainly with one Alessandro Manzoni, a famous late 18th-century/early 19th century novelist born in the town....there are trails to follow which indicate notable spots related to the novelist or his work ('The Betrothed' being the most famous, the first novel written in Italian and still [according to my guidebook] required reading in Italian schools).

The lakeside is pretty enough, with superb views of mountains and shore. The wind howling off the water meant my wanderings were fairly short, but I did appreciate the rather superb war memorial (to the dead of both World Wars).

I saw little of Lecco's history still visible, even though it's been there since Roman times. The Torre Viscontea, for example, part of Lecco's Medieval castle, is almost hidden behind newer (though still quite old) buildings.

But there were a few little alleyways to explore in the part of town surrounding Piazza Roma and just a little taste of the lakeside fishing town this must once have been.

The Basilica San Nicolo looked interesting but unfortunately preparations for a funeral were in progress so I did not go inside. It's an ancient church, dating from the 1200s, with Medieval frescoes to see. Its present bell tower (around 100 years old) is built on top of an older one...the bells from that older one were dated 1665.

There are some more Medieval walls still standing (not really accessible, although you can go down to the grassed-over moat) but little is made of them or their history even though the castle itself must have been pretty extensive.

Lecco central

So...Lecco...a pleasant lakeside promenade...somewhere to wander if you have an idle hour or two.... somewhere to eat perhaps (lots of restaurants).....somewhere to shop (lots of shops, many with expensive designer clothing ...perhaps you might run into Mr Clooney on one of his food-shopping jaunts?)...but other than that....

...no, not really somewhere to seek out. Just an ordinary working town which happens to be set within a stunning landscape.

Old alleyway

Pros and Cons

Pros:Lake and mountain views
Cons:Not much visible history
In a nutshell:A place for living real life rather than catering to tourists.

Last visit to Lecco: Jun 2011
Intro Updated Jun 5, 2011
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Reviews (5)

Buy some mushrooms? Things to Do (5)

I was fascinated by this shop. It's actually a butcher's shop, but clearly does a roaring trade in mushrooms (dried and... more travel advice

Find the rest of the castle.... Things to Do (5)

There are some rather impressive castle walls still remaining, along with a filled-in and grassed moat, but you'll have... more travel advice

Explore some alleyways. Things to Do (5)

I did find some little alleyways around Piazza Roma which gave me a taste of what Medieval Lecco might have been... more travel advice

Seek out Torre Viscontana Things to Do (5)

It won't be particularly easy, and you won't be able to get inside. Look to the far north-west of Piazza Roma...you'll... more travel advice

Comments (5)

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Ekaterinburg Aug 29, 2012 at 2:43 PM

Love the opening photo. I had the opposite experience here - spent all my time walking round the lake and didn't really see anything else.Hope you have better weather next time you pass through Lecco.
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  leics Aug 29, 2012 at 10:53 PM
  
  Thanks, Katherine. Weather really was pretty horrid that day: fingers crossed for next time. And maybe see George Clooney doing some shopping? I know he shops in Lecco... :-)
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yumyum Apr 23, 2012 at 11:39 AM

Thanks for the glimpse! Looking for places to visit on the way to Bergamo.
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Trekki Jun 26, 2011 at 2:17 AM

Nice town that is. Hopefully the weather will be better in May .-)
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Redang Jun 26, 2011 at 2:02 AM

I also liked this town!
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suvanki Jun 6, 2011 at 7:59 AM

This might be a 'Must See' -if only for the Grom experience - Mr Clooney and Extra Noir Chocolate - Mmmmmmmm!