Como鈥揃runate Funicular and Village of Brunate, Como (must see)
Hop aboard the Como鈥揃runate Funicular and in seven minutes you鈥檒l swap lakefront bustle for mountaintop calm. The line has been hauling people up and down since 1894鈥攕team at first, electricity soon after, and since 2011, sleek modern cars that carry eighty at a time. The ride starts beside Como鈥檚 quays, ducks through a tunnel, then bursts out into open air with views that make you forget you鈥檙e on public transport. Boats glide on the lake below, and the Alps stretch like a painted backdrop in the distance.
At the top sits Brunate, a village of fewer than two thousand residents but with a pedigree far grander than its size. Once a retreat for Como鈥檚 wealthy, it鈥檚 still lined with Liberty-style villas from the turn of the 20th century. The 14th-century Church of Saint Andrew watches over the main square, its Romanesque tower chiming over caf茅s, pizzerias, and narrow streets that slope toward viewpoints at every turn.
And then there鈥檚 the Volta Lighthouse鈥攂uilt in 1927 to honor Como鈥檚 most famous son, Alessandro Volta, inventor of the electric battery. From its ridge above Brunate, the view sweeps across the lake, the Alps, and on the clearest days, all the way to the Apennines. Locals even share a legend about Kangucavallo, a kindly half-horse, half-kangaroo who once carried a weary family up to the lighthouse and now appears only to pure hearts wandering the woods.
As an unofficial time machine, the funicular stitches together personalities, folklore and breathtaking landscapes. Kangucavallo is ready to take your photos, just be kind to him.
At the top sits Brunate, a village of fewer than two thousand residents but with a pedigree far grander than its size. Once a retreat for Como鈥檚 wealthy, it鈥檚 still lined with Liberty-style villas from the turn of the 20th century. The 14th-century Church of Saint Andrew watches over the main square, its Romanesque tower chiming over caf茅s, pizzerias, and narrow streets that slope toward viewpoints at every turn.
And then there鈥檚 the Volta Lighthouse鈥攂uilt in 1927 to honor Como鈥檚 most famous son, Alessandro Volta, inventor of the electric battery. From its ridge above Brunate, the view sweeps across the lake, the Alps, and on the clearest days, all the way to the Apennines. Locals even share a legend about Kangucavallo, a kindly half-horse, half-kangaroo who once carried a weary family up to the lighthouse and now appears only to pure hearts wandering the woods.
As an unofficial time machine, the funicular stitches together personalities, folklore and breathtaking landscapes. Kangucavallo is ready to take your photos, just be kind to him.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Como. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "黑料吃瓜网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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Como鈥揃runate Funicular and Village of Brunate on Map
Sight Name: Como鈥揃runate Funicular and Village of Brunate
Sight Location: Como, Italy (See walking tours in Como)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Como, Italy (See walking tours in Como)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Como, Italy
Create Your Own Walk in Como
Creating your own self-guided walk in Como is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Como Lakeshore Walking Tour
English novelist Mary Shelley declared visitors to Italy are in danger of becoming: "enjoyers of the beauties of nature, the elegance of art, the delights of climate, the recollections of the past, and the pleasures of society." All this she found on the shores of Lake Como. From Roman writer Pliny the Younger onward, visitors and natives of Como would have agreed.
The alpine lake is... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
The alpine lake is... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Como Introduction Walking Tour
The Roman writer Pliny the Younger once wrote to his friend, 鈥淲hat is the news from Como, mine and your delight?鈥� Como is a place of palaces, churches, gardens, temples, museums, and parks. Its nearness to the spectacular Lake Como and the Swiss and Italian Alps has made the area a traveler鈥檚 delight from the time of Pliny the Younger to the present day.
Pliny wasn鈥檛 its first fan,... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
Pliny wasn鈥檛 its first fan,... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles