Just an hour from Milan, and yet a world away. The city may have fashion and aperitivo but the lake… it has something totally different.

The Art of Escape

Spending any time in Milan is a degree of people watching. The casual, the hurried, the coffee break which lasts ever too long. The sprezzatura… a style that makes casual and formal blend so universally different to everywhere else. So when you leave this capital of cosmopolitan theatre, it’s cinematic, especially in spring.
Because spring in Milan is nice, the espresso-fuelled mornings, the style, the soft light over the duomo and onto Castello Sforzesco. But leaving, that’s something unique. The skyline, littered with new high-rises and gothic architecture fades, the roads curve out and northwards and the air, it gets crisper, cooler and inevitably different. In just around an hour you’re not in Milan anymore, you’re in another world entirely.

This is the beauty of Lake Como: close enough for a weekend, far enough to feel like an exhale.

The Season of Return

Il lago di Como, or Lake Como transforms in spring. The air is soft, the light just lingers, reflecting off stoned medieval walls, villas and gardens. Villa Cipressi, Villa Carlotta, Villa Balbianello all come back to life.
Boats return to the water, terraces open, and the lake’s rhythm slows to something that feels almost meditative.

It’s the kind of season where doing nothing feels like a plan.

Where to Stay: Il Sereno

For those who love design as much as landscape, Il Sereno is the lake’s modern masterpiece.

A vision by Patricia Urquiola, it’s all clean lines, glass, and natural stone, a striking contrast to the region’s old-world villas. Every suite opens directly onto the water; mornings begin with sunlight dancing across the lake and evenings end with aperitivo on a private terrace as the mountains blush pink.

The hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Berton Al Lago, redefines northern Italian cuisine, delicate, inventive, and deeply rooted in place. Then there’s the infinity pool that seems to melt into the water below, the private boat for exploring secret coves, and the service that feels effortless.

Imagine staying here, just for a few nights and letting the world and the idea of la Dolce Vita hit you squarely in all the right places.

How to Spend 48 Hours

Day One — Depart Milan after breakfast; be sure to get your cornetto and cappuccino and maybe even the pink La Gazzetta Dello Sport to really fit in with the crowd.

Como is just a leisurely drive away. First, visit the town for a stroll along the promenade and a coffee in the piazza before gliding north to Il Sereno. Spend the afternoon on the lake, perhaps a private boat to Bellagio – try and spot George Clooney’s villa – where cobblestone alleys spill into the water. Dinner back at the hotel in Michelin star delight by chef Raffaele Lenzi and watch the lights shimmering on the water surface.

Day Two — Begin slowly. Yoga on the terrace, or breakfast in bed with cornetti – the soft Italian version of a croissant – still warm from the oven. Visit the gardens of Villa Balbianello, famous for their cinematic views, then return for a long lunch on the deck, where every course feels like an ode to spring.
Depart late afternoon back toward Milan, but changed somehow. Spiritually Lighter.

Why Go In Spring?

Because spring is when Lake Como belongs to the locals again. The festivities have died down and the air, the air is pure.

It’s before the summer crowds arrive, there’s a sense of intimacy, of rediscovery. The lake feels yours. The views, unhurried. The silence, exquisite.

For those who crave beauty without spectacle, and stillness with style, spring on Lake Como is the most elegant escape imaginable.