1. Rent a boat and swim in the middle of Lake Como

The first time I heard of Lake Como, I wasn’t that interested. Why would I want to go there? It’s just a lake. I would rather go to a real beach. I just desperately wanted to swim somewhere lovely! Never have I been so wrong. Haha, okay, let’s not exaggerate too much. Obviously, I haven’t looked at Google images yet because if I did, I would have known why Lake Como is so awesome.

Lake Como is, outside of Norway, known as the deepest lake of Europe. It is about 400 meters deep, covers almost 150 square kilometers, and is surrounded by all kinds of lovely small villages. This is enough reason to rent a boat and explore the lake. Although you can swim at the little beaches created around the lake, jumping off the boat into the cold and fresh water gives you an entirely different experience. An awesome experience! Rent a boat at, for example, Cantiere Mostes for about 150 euro if you include fuel and drive towards Bellagio while stopping for a swim. Also, make sure to find George Clooney’s house. The locals are very proud of having George as their neighbor. Next, make sure to check out Nesso, where you’ll see a waterfall right behind the little bridge next to the lake.

2. Go for a sunset walk in the picturesque Nesso

Like I mentioned before, you get a great view of Nesso by boat. But from Nesso itself, you will have a great view of the lake. So wander around in the picturesque Nesso around sunset when the temperature is more bearable, and you’ll be stunned by the peaceful atmosphere and colorful old houses. In case you would like to combine a sunset view with dinner, Ristorante Pizzeria Ness has an amazing terrace.

3. Walk through the steep lovely streets in Bellagio

I love Bellagio! Bellagio is probably one of the prettiest places around Lake Como. It must be! Tiny streets with small uneven tiles, old houses with little windows, tiny restaurants on every corner with relaxing Italian and French music, and homemade magnums. Regarding restaurants, I don’t have any specific recommendations. Where we ate, the fried squid was way too salty, thus a bit disappointing. The staff was funny, though. The guy asked me afterward whether the meal was any good, and I told him, “it was a bit salty.” To which he replied, “would you like to take away?” “No, thank you. I was too salty”. “Yes, the portion was big, right?” “Sure” Haha, yeah, well… The cheese platters at Bellagio are delicious, though. Just like the wines. Really try out some red wines with a cheese platter; you can’t go wrong on that one.

4. Sit alongside the canals in Venice and dance to the live music on Piazza San Marco

Venice. Ahh, the amazing Venice. The city that has been built on water and that has no roads, just canals.  The best way to get there is by parking your car at the ‘Venice City Park‘ (reservation not necessary) and take the bus that brings you straight to where you can start your stroll. Also, there is not need to rush once you’re are there since the busses drive all night back to the parking place.

When you go to Venice, make sure to relax. Sit beside the little canals, go for ice cream, wave at the people in the boats, check out the cute dogs that Italian people have, but whatever you do, don’t accept any roses. I am saying this because the men who offer you one for free will follow you around after that… Anyway, at some point, you should probably reach Piazza San Marco, where you will find the amazing Saint Mark’s Basilica, a cathedral covered with huge colorful paintings. The live music played at this piazza combined with the amazing historic view gives this place an incredible ambiance. So breath in, breath out, take it all in, and dance on the Piazza San Marco.

5. Enjoy an amazing pasta at Trattoria da Dennis, Venice

Make sure to visit Venice before it disappears forever because Venice is slowly sinking. And when you do visit, I recommend you to have the Tagliolini Nero at Trattoria da Denis. Denis started his ristorante seven years ago and serves fantastic food and has excellent staff. Tiny things such as when you drop your cutlery, and they come running with new ones, starting a conversation about where you are from, and joking around a bit, make this place memorable. Excellent service, great staff, great food. But hey, don’t just take my word for it.

6. Have an icecream in Gelateria Zampolli in Trieste

Gelateria Zampolli is known as the place to get your ice cream from. The locals I spoke with actually say that this is the single best ice cream place they know. Locals even take away ice cream here. They have this XL-icecream box filled with twenty different flavors of ice cream so they can enjoy it at any time. Gelateria Zampolli has about fifty different flavors, so be prepared for some life-changing decisions.

7. Enjoy an incredible sunset view from the coastline of Trieste and then go for cocktails at one of the squares

Walk along the coast of Trieste via Riva del Mandracchio and perceive the incredible sunset before going into the city centre, where you will find a lovely market, many restaurants and cocktailbars and if lucky even some live bands.