Cernobbio is a short walk from Como, located at the foot of Mount Bisbino (m. 1325), has been a famous and renowned tourist centre for centuries. Since the first decades of this century, Cernobbio has been one of the favourite holiday resorts for the wealthy Comascan and Milanese families, witnessing the large number of villas and gardens present in the territory.
Today Cernobbio has adapted to the needs of mass tourism by creating an efficient accommodation organization, protecting the greenery, offering visitors services and a beautiful lakefront adorned with pretty fountain. Cernobbio is the starting point for the (Via dei Monti Lariani), an evocative walk on paths between 600 and 1200 meters altitude, entirely indicated by the CAI.
From the village you can reach Mount Bisbino (m. 1325), a 16th-century shrine stands on top. Past the hamlet of Rovenna, about 600 meters high we meet the Fox Hole, a cave with underground water links. We point out the famous Villa Erba today prestigious multipurpose center, which hosts events and events, built in 1898, on the existing Villa Nuova, where once stood a medieval monastery. Among the churches is worth a visit the Parish Primitiva dedicated to St. Vincent, narrow among the picturesque alleys of the oldest district of the village.
The most prestigious villa is undoubtedly Villa d’Este, now transformed into the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este. The first building was erected in 1589 for Cardinal Ptoono Gallio, on the drawings of the famous architect Pellegrino Tibaldi. It was then called the villa of the Gàrrovo, named after the creek that flows into the lake here. The complex was purchased in 1814 by the Princess of Wales, descended from the illustrious d’Este family and renamed the villa by this name.