Attractions within 1 hour’s drive

If you hire a car in Milan, you can reach the following attractions within one hour.

Lake Como, Lombardy

Como is situated at the southern end of the western branch of the beautiful Lake Como. If you hire a car in Milan, you can reach Como in just under an hour. Once you’ve parked your hire car, you can stroll around the Piazza Cavour where you can indulge in a delicious meal or have a drink whilst enjoying a great view of the lake and mountains. The Piazza Cavour is also the location of Como Cathedral, or Duomo, which dates back to the 14th century and features a wonderful 18th century dome. The interior of the cathedral is opulent, and includes tapestries and other art works. Outside, on either side of the main door, you can see statues of Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger, who were both born in Como. Adjacent to the cathedral is the 13th century Broletto, the original town hall, which was used as a theatre during the 18th century.

As well as being the birthplace of Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger, Como was also the home town of the physicist Alessandro Volta, after whom the “volt” was named. You can see a statue of Volta in the town’s Piazza Voltaand you can visit the neo-classical Tempio Voltiano (Volta Temple) on the banks of Lake Como, which houses scientific instruments and documents relating to Volta’s life and work.

Opening hours: The Tempio Voltiano is open from 10am until 12pm and from 3pm until 6pm, Tuesday to Sunday, between April and October. From November until March, it’s open from 10am until 12pm and from 2pm until 4pm. It’s closed on Mondays. Large sections of Como’s old city walls still survive and these are punctuated by historic towers, the most impressive of which is the Porta Vittoria, the city’s old gateway.

Other historical buildings to see in Como include: