Sign with history of Lecco

Lecco is a city on the southeastern shore of Lake Como in northern Italy. It is about 31 miles from Milan which makes it a great place to end your Italian vacation if you are leaving from Milan. The Bergamo Alps rise to the north and to the east. It is a very beautiful area with a lot of history. Excavations found that there was a Celtic settlement before the Romans. The Romans built a fortified military camp and made it an important road hub. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire the Lombards captured the town in the 6th century. Later they were followed by the Franks who made the seat of the countship. At some time it was ruled by Gian Giacomo Medici.

If you read the sign, in 1336 Lecco was made into a walled in city with a moat by the Lord of Milan. The Sforza Dukes of Milan from 1466 to the 16th century built the castle creating a fortified port on the lake. In 1782, Emperor Joseph II abolished the fortress by selling the castle to private buyers. The ruins of the wall and moat can still be seen today. Bridges were built over the river and it is now easy to get back and forth from Milan.

Today the city is full of shops, restaurants and ferry landings. You can rent a boat or hop on a ferry to many destinations on the lake. It is also the beginning for trails that you can hike up into the Alps. In the winter there are ski areas close by.

We had a relaxing last day of shopping and dining at some of the many outdoor cafes.

Lake Como has many beautiful destinations. The city of Como is another one as well as Bellagio.  You won't go wrong staying at any of those destinations. Como and Lecco are probably the easiest for getting back to Milan.