Como's lakeside living room and the walk to Villa Olmo
Photo: Roman Volkov · Unsplash License · source
Why go
Piazza Cavour sits on the lakefront and is open to the water on its northern side, where benches look over the lake and the hills. It was reclaimed from marshy ground as the city redesigned its waterfront in the 19th century, and it became the main square, a place for promenades, events and boat departures. On a clear day you can see the Faro Voltiano among the trees above Brunate.
From the square, the lakefront walk runs west along the Passeggiata Lino Gelpi. You pass the Monumento ai Caduti of 1931, the gardens of the Tempio Voltiano and Daniel Libeskind's Life Electric on the breakwater, and you end at Villa Olmo. The walk is flat and it covers the best of Como's shore in a leisurely hour or two, with cafés along the way.
Gallery
Photo: Roman Volkov · Unsplash License · source
Photo: Nadiia Kosarieva · Pexels License · source
Photo: Babak Habibi · Unsplash License · source
Photo: Andriy Turko · Pexels License · source
Photo: Malgorzata Bujalska · Unsplash License · source
Photo: Shaghayegh Allahdad · Unsplash License · source
Highlights
The square is enclosed on three sides by buildings and open to the lake on the fourth. Along the eastern edge, colourful Italianate buildings house cafés and gelaterie, and the lakefront is a departure point for boats. Sit on a bench at the water's edge and watch the ferries and the light on the hills.
The lakeside stroll leads west from Piazza Cavour and is one of Como's most charming walks. Along the way you pass the Monumento ai Caduti of 1931 and the villas Saporiti and Gallia, now owned by the provincial government and closed to the public, before the route ends at Villa Olmo.
Daniel Libeskind's sculpture stands at the end of the breakwater, the Diga Foranea named after the physicist Piero Caldirola. Inaugurated on 2 October 2015, it is 13.75 metres tall, in polished steel that reflects the lake, and its form is a homage to Volta. At night more than 300 LED points light it.
On the shore beside the walk stands the neoclassical Tempio Voltiano, the museum devoted to Alessandro Volta. Even if you do not go in, the gardens are a pleasant place to pause, and the temple and Life Electric form a pair of monuments to the scientist, one from 1927 and one from 2015.
At the end of the walk stands Villa Olmo, a neoclassical villa built in 1782 to 1787 by the Ticinese architect Simone Cantoni for the Odescalchi family. It is ringed by a large Italian-style garden. Check its own opening times: access can be limited during exhibitions and events.
Practical information
Piazza Cavour, 22100 Como (CO); Passeggiata Lino Gelpi, Lungo Lario Trieste, 22100 Como (CO)
See on mapFrom the official website:
The square and the lakefront promenade are public space and always open. The museums and villas along the route keep their own hours.
Free: the square, the promenade and Life Electric are in public space. The Tempio Voltiano charges admission; see its own page.
Checked in November 2026. Hours and fees can change: check on the day before you go.
Getting there
Piazza Cavour is on the lakefront, a few minutes on foot from the Duomo and from the funicular station. The walk to Villa Olmo is about 2 kilometres, around 25 to 30 minutes at a stroll.
Train to Como Nord Lago (Milan-Saronno-Como line), about 5 minutes on foot from the lake, or to Como San Giovanni (Milan-Locarno line) and walk about 15 minutes. Journey from Milan about an hour depending on the train.
Boats of Navigazione Laghi (navigazionelaghi.it) leave from Como's lakefront, with services such as Como-Colico. Navigazione Laghi announced that the arrival and departure piers in Como change from 3 November 2026, so check the current pier before you go.
Driving into the centre is restricted. Use a car park on the edge of the centre and walk to the lake.
Insider tips
Light is softest an hour before sunset, and Life Electric lights up after dark. Start at Villa Olmo and walk back to Piazza Cavour for the golden hour on the water.
The promenade past the Tempio Voltiano and the Monumento ai Caduti to Villa Olmo is a little over half an hour at a steady pace according to the tourist board, but allow longer if you stop.
Navigazione Laghi announced a change of arrival and departure piers in Como from 3 November 2026. Look at the current timetable and pier before you plan a boat trip from the square.
Villa Saporiti and Villa Gallia are closed to the public. Villa Olmo has its own hours and can be closed during events, so check before you plan an interior visit.
Nearby
From the Lake Como City Guide, each with its own Holiplanet page. Straight-line distances.
Restaurant · 0.6 km
Apulian family recipes and fresh fish, served in the centre of Como a few steps from the lake.
Discover more →Restaurant · 0.7 km
A first-floor restaurant with a panoramic terrace right on Lake Como, serving revisited Mediterranean cooking with Lariana traditions.
Discover more →Restaurant · 1.4 km
A rooftop restaurant and lounge bar at Hilton Lake Como, open all year with a glass-walled greenhouse and views over the lake.
Discover more →Restaurant · 2.1 km
A seafood restaurant in an old Como silk mill, where the day's catch meets an open grill and a warm family welcome.
Discover more →Hotel · 0.1 km
A city-centre hotel on Piazza Cavour, right by the lake boats
View hotel →Hotel · 0.1 km
A Liberty-style palazzo on the lakefront in the historic centre of Como
View hotel →Hotel · 0.2 km
A three-star hotel in a neoclassical building on Piazza Volta
View hotel →Hotel · 0.2 km
A grand Liberty-style palazzo in Como's historic centre
View hotel →All hotels on the Lake Como map → All things to do on the map →
Questions
On the Como lakefront, in the town centre, with its northern side open to the lake. It is a few minutes' walk from the Duomo and the Como-Brunate funicular, and boats depart from the lakefront.
The lakefront walk is flat and takes roughly half an hour at a stroll, about 2 kilometres. The Passeggiata Lino Gelpi leads west from Piazza Cavour past the Monumento ai Caduti and the villas Saporiti and Gallia.
A sculpture by Daniel Libeskind, 13.75 metres tall, at the end of the Diga Foranea. It was inaugurated on 2 October 2015 as a homage to Alessandro Volta and is lit by LEDs at night.
Yes, the promenade, Piazza Cavour and the monuments along it are in public space. Museums such as the Tempio Voltiano charge admission, and the villas keep their own hours.
Navigazione Laghi runs services from Como's lakefront, including Como-Colico. The company announced that the arrival and departure piers in Como change from 3 November 2026, so check the pier for your boat.
