10 Things to do in Lake Como at Christmas

Magic fills every corner of Lake Como and its surroundings. The regions that stand on the shores of the lake become real Christmas villages, where adults and children can let their imagination fly with multiple plans to do and enjoy with the family.

That is why a trip to this region during the Christmas season is one of the best things to see and do in Lake Como. Living nativity scenes, letter delivery to Santa Claus, light shows and a long list of amazing things to do, run through every part of Como and the surrounding towns.

Without a doubt this is an excellent season to embark on one of the best tours of Lake Como, especially to tour the historic center of Como, which when Christmas arrives, is transformed into the Città dei Balocchi. It is a beautiful outdoor light show.

This spectacle is also known as Magic Light Festival, and it is nothing more than a compendium of luminous images that illuminate houses, buildings, squares, and every corner of the city. At the same time, the Christmas lights are present in the neighborhoods of Como, being the Piazza del Duomo, one of the first places to appreciate the spectacle.

In the midst of all the celebration, you can also have fun in certain attractions for visitors, such as the skating rink and the Ferris wheel, from which you can better appreciate the spectacle of Como illuminated.

Details of interest

• Price: You can go to enjoy these festivities for free.
• How to get there: First you will have to go to Piazza Duomo and then continue through the city of Como to see the show.
• Date and time: This show runs from the second week of November to the first week of January.

When it comes to taking a boat tour of Lake Como, there is no better way to do it during Christmas than by boarding one of the Christmas cruises. When you get on one of them, you will be able to see from the water the other villages overlooking the lake, which are also illuminated according to the season.

These cruises are nothing more than the Christmas edition of the Lake Como Summer Light, an event that takes place in Lake Como during the summer. The best time to get on these cruises is undoubtedly when the sunset begins to fall, at that time you will surely get the best postcards.

You will be delighted with the decorations that adorn the villages of Blevio, Faggeto, Torno, Lezzeno, Pognana, Nesso and Careno, while the cruise goes to the center of the lake. On the way back, you can see the decorations of Sala Comacina, Brienno, Argegno, Colonno, Cernobbio, Carate Urio and Moltrasio. Don't miss the Christmas snacks served on board the Christmas Lights Cruises.

Interesting details

• Price: To enjoy this experience you will have to pay an average price of 40 euros per person.
• How to get there: You will have to arrive at the port to embark, on your own, either on foot, using public transportation or private car.
• Date and time: Usually about three to four cruises are scheduled throughout the season, sailing between December and January. Usually this cruise departs around 18:00 from Como, and returns at approximately 21:00.

In the villages around Lago di Como, you will be able to see different living nativity scenes that are organized to remember the birth of the child God. There are also Christmas markets where you can go to enjoy the gastronomic offer of the season and buy whatever you need to complete your decorations.

This offer of Christmas markets and living nativity scenes is one of the best things to do in Lake Como, especially after sunset, because the atmosphere becomes magical, ideal for children's entertainment.

You can take many pictures on the traditional tree and you can also go skating on the ice rink that is placed in the middle of the celebration every year. You will love to smell the aroma of roasted chestnuts and enjoy mulled wine, which are part of the region's Christmas gastronomic traditions.

Also joining the celebration is the sound animation that accompanies the light projections and you will enjoy listening to the narrator of the event announcing all the activities from the Broletto. And if that's not enough, you'll want to hop on the Christmas train that will take you through the decorations of Via Garibaldi and Piazza Verdi to see the nativity scenes.

Details of interest

• Price: To enjoy the Nativity Scenes there is no charge.
• How to get there: This festival takes place in the city of Como itself, so you will be able to walk to the event.
• Date and time: This activity usually takes place between the second week of November and the first week of January. I recommend going to this event in the evenings.

Continuing with the idea of visiting nativity scenes, there is one that is really special and that you will love to see. It is none other than the floating crib of Cernobbio, which you will be able to visit and contemplate at its inauguration right after midnight mass.

To date this crib has become a tradition among the things to see and do in Lago di Como in December. You can find it on the Riva di Cernobbio until the arrival of the Three Wise Men on January 6th. It is a very nice activity in which you can participate.

It is a group of people who leave from the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer on the night of December 24 and, amidst torches and joy, march to the lake to place the image of the Child Jesus on the manger, which the locals then immerse in the water until the arrival of the Three Wise Men.

In Argegno, instead, you can enjoy a beautiful living nativity scene, whose annual tradition is set for January 1 in the midst of a celebration known as "Chapel", in which the events of various moments in the life of Jesus are represented. You will see many figures in period costumes and you can take pictures with them.

Details of interest

• Price: There is no fee to participate in this experience.
• How to get there: The procession departs from the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer in Cernobbio and then walks to the lakeside.
• Date and time: The Nativity Scene is inaugurated on the night of December 24 and remains there until January 6, Three Kings' Day. To see the procession and participate in it, you will have to go during the night of December 24.

On January 5 Bellano celebrates the feast of the Pesa Vegia, a tradition that has been present at Christmas on Lake Como for about 400 years. In the midst of the celebration, the locals recreate bonfires, make cavalcades of kings and gather on the shore of the river, to commemorate a historical event that coincided with the celebration of the Epiphany and is now more than traditional.

This celebration has to do with the joy and gratitude of the people of Bellano when around 1600 they succeeded in getting the governor of the region at the time, to advocate keeping unchanged the old weighing, or pesa vegia (which was the unit of trade by then), instead of assuming a new weighing not at all beneficial to traders, the pesa nova.

The news that the pesa vegia was being maintained came just on the eve of Epiphany, the celebration that replaces the Three Kings in Italy. And so it was that the sacred and the profane became intertwined in a beautiful tradition. You can participate in the activities and discover the religious soul of the locals.

Details of interest

• Price: You don't have to pay anything to enjoy these celebrations.
• How to get there: To get to Bellano you will have to travel by boat or by land by private car or using public transportation.
• Date and Time: You can enjoy this experience on the evening of January 5, when the locals gather to celebrate another year of tradition.

Among the most incredible Christmas experiences is this one by train, which is the winter version of the Lario Express. It is a historic train organized by the Fondazione FS and departs from Milan to visit the hinterland of Lombardy, and visit each of the villages of Lake Como.

It is a good activity to include among the list of things to do in Lake Como in winter because the old wagons will give you the impression of being stopped in time. You will be able to see from your window, how each village presents its best Christmas decorations that contrast with its landscapes.

Some of the places you will see on the tour are: the minor Basilica of Seregno, the ancient village of Cantù and the Benedictine abbey from the end of the 19th century. You will love to look at the medieval architecture of these places.

Details of interest

• Price: You will have to pay between 5 and 7 euros per person to board this train. The price difference depends on the age of each passenger. If you want to include the boat ride, the price amounts to about 17 euros per person.
• How to get there: The whole ride is done by train, but in order to get to the boarding place, you will have to do it on your own, either by private car or using public transportation.
• Date and Time: This experience is available during the winter season, between the months of November and January. Departures vary in schedule, but most depart between 8:30 and 11:00.

Until December 18 you have the opportunity to board the Orione motorboat. This is a magical Christmas experience that you will have the opportunity to enjoy twice a day. The whole boat is decorated with Christmas motifs and offers moments of entertainment for everyone on board, so it is an excellent plan if you are traveling with children.

One of the most awaited attractions on board is the meeting with Santa Claus, where children take the opportunity to give him their letters of wishes for Christmas. In addition to the tour, the whole area is dressed up for Christmas, especially part of the fleet of ships, which is illuminated during the season.

Details of interest

• Price: You will have to pay around 80 euros to get on the boat for Christmas.
• How to get there: The whole experience is completed by boat, but to get to the starting point, you will have to do it on your own, either by private car or public transport.
• Date and Time: This experience is generally available between the second week of December and the first week of January.

La Befana is on January 6 and is the Italian way of celebrating the day of the Epiphany or the arrival of the Magi. Throughout the territory the Befana is celebrated as a good witch who brings toys to children and coal to those who have not behaved well in the year.

In the case of Lake Como, the Befana is celebrated in the historic center of Como, where the neighbors are organized to dress up, make celebrations in honor of the Befana and especially place different witches in their representation in some buildings of the city. You will love to participate and watch these shows where children are the protagonists.

In addition to the celebrations, in Lake Como there are also gatherings in the houses where the traditional Italian Christmas food is eaten. Another interesting tradition of this celebration is the famous burning of a human-like doll.

Interesting details

• Price: There is no entrance fee to participate in these events.
• How to get there: Generally the Befana celebrations are held in the historic center of Como.
• Time: The burning of the doll takes place in the evening, while the Befana festivity is from the morning of the 6th.

The streets and squares in the center of Como and the other towns around the lake are filled with Christmas markets, as well as attractions for all ages. If there is one thing that makes the atmosphere even more magical, it is the decorations and the typical Christmas music.

When you visit the center in search of the markets, you can stroll through the more than fifty houses in Piazza Cavour where it is possible to find many typical products and handicrafts from Como and the rest of the Lombardy region.

At least twenty of these houses are dedicated to offering street food, so you can enjoy the gastronomy. One of the most beautiful attractions is the Christmas tree that stands in Piazza Duomo and is the most representative symbol of Christmas in Lake Como.

Interesting details

• Price: You don't have to pay anything to enjoy the markets, but you do have to pay for what you want to buy inside.
• How to get there: The markets are located in the center of Como and also in the historic center of each of the villages around the Lake, you can get there on foot or by car.
• Hours: Generally this activity can be experienced from the first week of December to the first week of January. The Christmas tree can be seen illuminated at night.

Castello di Carimate is a special place in Lago di Como, and during the Christmas season it is even more so. During this season the area is flooded with Christmas markets full of activities for children and adults. You can also find there the creation of different artisans and endless gastronomic offers.

This Christmas market is installed in this place for at least four days, in which Santa Claus' house is one of the most popular attractions among children. If you are a lover of Italian gastronomy, you can delight yourself with polenta-based dishes. In fact, going to these markets is an ideal option if you are going on a romantic trip.

Interesting details

• Price: You don't have to pay an entrance fee to see the markets and live the experience, but you do have to pay for what you want to buy inside.
• How to get there: These activities take place at the Castello di Carimate, in the city of Como.
• Date and Hours: Runs for four days throughout the season, which is usually the week before Christmas. Open from 10:00 to 20:00.