Lake Como, Italy: Bellagio and Varenna

Lake Como — lined with palm trees and elegant pastel-colored villas, crowned by snowcapped mountains, and criss-crossed by a fleet of ferries and hydrofoils — is a great place to take a break from the intensity of Italy that one finds further south. Bellagio is a classy combination of Old World elegance and new world luxury. Varenna has a romantic waterside promenade, a tiny harbor, and inviting narrow lanes. Subscribe at for weekly updates on more European destinations. Visit http://