If you are looking for the perfect family getaway and you want a taste of rural Italy, then this is the holiday for you. We went in April, a glorious time to go – fewer tourists, but still the flowers were on show and the temperature hung around a comfortable 19-20 degrees.
The house was beautiful and the village was like going back in time. Breglia is steeped in history and hasn't changed much for hundreds of years. The children were free to wander the many tight labyrinthian alleyways; running and hiding amongst the medieval buildings, while my wife and I relaxed on the balcony of the house, overlooking what was essentially a glorified playground. There is even an alpine-looking hotel serving food, beer and ice-cream!
The village is positioned in the hills, about 20 minutes of winding chicanes above the tranquil shores of Menaggio (beautiful, serene – more lovely ice cream - about an hour north of Milan, and close enough for a day-foray into Switzerland). Many of the villagers still live in Breglia, but the place really is a picture frozen in time; slow, rustic, and safe. The children (ages 12, 10 and 7) loved it!
From Breglia there is so much to do. The house overlooks Lake Como and surrounding mountains; birds chatter and busy themselves in the garden, the odd raven echoes in the distance, and the area is teeming with cute little lizards. But it is the people that made our stay particularly memorable. From local shopkeepers to the friendly crew onboard Como’s cruise-boats (relaxing, inexpensive and a great way to explore other lakeside wonders), the local Italians made us feel most welcome.
None more so than Lucia, our host, who simply could not do enough for us, and made us feel totally at home. Lucia is a local historian and writer and knows everything about the area! Our holiday began weeks before our stay, through emails describing walks, excursions and other details that Lucia thought would be of interest to us. She was there waiting when we arrived, with chocolate eggs for the children (it was Easter, a nice touch!), and was such a fountain of knowledge and useful advice. Lucia really went that extra mile and our holiday was so much the better for it. The house itself was lovely; supremely clean and just how we wanted it. The garden was long and perfect for outdoor eating, but it was the village itself that was the best entertainer for the kids!
I cannot recommend the house, Breglia, Lucia, and the area of Lake Como highly enough.