Discover Domaso

Discover Domaso through several distinct highlights: the dense buildings of the historic centre, Villa Camilla and its park, water sports, and paths through the landscape along the Livo. When planning your trip, it is worth considering these themes separately. This will help you see which side of the town interests you most.

Historic centre and “strecc”

The historic centre is characterised by brightly painted houses built close together, arcades and arches. These features are typical of a fishing village. Narrow, cobbled lanes known as “strecc” connect the lakeside road with the houses behind it. The layout of the historic centre is therefore evident not only in the façades, but also in the connection between the lakeside road and the buildings set back from it.

Villa Camilla and its gardens

Villa Camilla was built in the early years of the 17th century as the Ghezzi family’s residence. It is set in a park of about 8,000 square metres. The garden’s plant life includes camellias, cedars and conifers; the park also contains artificial caves made of tuff, dating from the 19th century.

To understand the chronology, it is worth looking separately at the residence and the caves: the villa was built in the early 17th century, while the caves date from the 19th century. The garden features and the history of the house can therefore be understood as distinct aspects of the estate from different periods.

Church and Renaissance frescoes

The parish church of San Bartolomeo has a single-nave layout with side chapels and a square choir that ends in a semicircular apse. “Single-nave” refers to a church with one main nave; the side chapels are additional spaces alongside it. The apse is the semicircular end of the choir. These basic forms help explain the description of the church’s architecture.

Religious art can also be found outside the church in the townscape: the façades of houses in the historic centre feature Renaissance frescoes. The church’s spatial design and the wall paintings on the houses thus represent different aspects of the religious heritage.

Water sports and the beach

Domaso is known for windsurfing, kitesurfing and sailing. There are windsurfing and sailing schools in the town. Windsurfing and sailing are therefore both part of its water sports offering and activities with dedicated schools; kitesurfing is also among the town’s well-known activities.

On the Upper Lake Como, Domaso Serenella beach is one of the most extensive beaches. Water sports and the beach offer different starting points for planning your trip, depending on which aspect of a stay by the water matters most to you.

Walking routes and the Pozze di Domaso

The Via Regina walking route passes through Domaso between Gera Lario and Gravedona. The town is therefore on a route connecting these two places. The Pozze di Domaso offer a different kind of natural highlight: they are crystal-clear pools in the Livo River, a little upstream from Domaso.

The path along the Livo passes stretches of smooth, rounded pebbles, small waterfalls and natural pools. This riverside landscape shapes the route to the Pozze. The path starts in Domaso; parking is available on Via dei Mulini or in the town centre near the church of San Bartolomeo. When planning your visit, you can take these starting-point and parking options into account.

Discover more destinations: Caglio, Casnate Con Bernate, Inverigo, Dosso del Liro, Vercana, Albonico, Rovello Porro, Locate Varesino.

See the broader travel overview: Como.