The tiny hamlet of Brunate is a must-visit when you’re in Como, especially for the views. We took an afternoon trip from Como and absolutely loved it!
While there aren’t a whole lot of things to do in Brunate, spending a few hours there admiring the Art Nouveau villas and walking to Volitano Lighthouse and back is perfect for enjoying the place.
We enjoyed a lovely afternoon and an epic sunset in Brunate, frequently referred to as the Balcony of the Alps. Needless to say, we had the best sunset over Lake Como from there!
Read on to find out what to do with a few hours in Brunate.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. That means that if you make a purchase through one of those links, I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Hi, I’m Linn Haglund, the face behind Brainy Backpackers. I’ve been based in Spain for the last 10+ years, and travel locally and abroad whenever I have a chance. I’m passionate about responsible travel, slow and off the beaten path travel, and outdoor activities, especially hiking. I’m currently slow traveling in my van Persistence (Persi among friends) with my fiancée Mohammed and rescue puppy Atlas. I’m excited to help you explore this planet responsibly!
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Things to do in Brunate
Grab a drink at a bar with a view
As I mentioned above, Brunate offers some of the absolute best views of Lake Como, and there are several bars and restaurants where you can enjoy these views.
It’s a fantastic way to slow down in beautiful surroundings before exploring the little village on foot.
We didn’t get the time to do this when we visited Brunate, as we decided to do it after hiking to Volitano Lighthouse.
As we enjoyed the views from there and the walk so much, we spent more time on it than we had planned, so I highly recommend starting your visit this way, so you don’t miss out.
See the Chiesa Prepositurale di Sant’Andrea Apostolo
The Chiesa Prepositurale di Sant’Andrea Apostolo is a 19th-century Neo-Romanesque church in the heart of Brunate.
It was closed when we went there, but it’s supposed to have some beautiful frescoes from the 17th and 18th centuries and a pipe organ from the early 1800s, so I suppose it’s worth going inside if it’s open when you go.
I mean, what Italian church hasn’t been worth visiting inside?
Admire the Art Nouveau villas
Brunate started to become popular at the end of the 1800s and early 1900s, when the wealthy from Milan built opulent villas to escape the city.
These lavish Art Nouveau villas are still towering throughout Brunate, and we loved walking around to look at them.
It’s absolutely worth walking around to admire these historic properties, even though you can’t explore the gardens and the views they must have from their properties.
Hike to Volitano Lighthouse
After walking around Brunate and taking in the beautiful historical buildings, we went on a hike to Volitano Lighthouse.
This walk was the highlight of our visit to Brunate because of the views. The walk is only about 30 minutes each way, but if you spend some time at the lighthouse, I’d schedule at least an hour and a half.
The views from there are absolutely stunning! You can see Cernobbio town on the other side of Lake Como from there.
It’s possible to visit the lighthouse too for even better views, but it was closed when we were there, so we didn’t get the chance to do that.
I can only imagine what the world would look like from the top of the Lighthouse and will try to get there when it’s open next time I go!
Volitano Lighthouse was built at the same time as Tempio Volitano, in 1927, to commemorate the Como-local scientist and inventor of the electric battery, Alessandro Volta, 100 years after his death.
Getting to and from Brunate
By funicular
We took the funicular from Como to Brunate, and it was one of the best things we did in Como. It has been running since 1894 and only takes 7 minutes each way, but it’s a fantastic way to reach the little hamlet that sits 500-700 meters above the lake.
The lake views along the ride just get better and better the further up you get. It’s also pet-friendly, and we could take Atlas for free without a muzzle (he’s about 20kg) even though I’ve read online that they charge extra for dogs.
The funicular runs every 15 minutes between 6 am and midnight, and you purchase tickets directly at the ticket booth at the station. We purchased a one-way ticket for 3.60 Euros, as we had planned to walk back down again, but ended up taking the funicular back down again as we spent longer than planned up there.
A two-way ticket would have cost us 7.20 Euros, so there wasn’t any price difference.
By car
You can drive to Brunate, but I wouldn’t recommend this unless you’re planning to continue driving to another town after, as it’s a 20-minute ride up.
We also witnessed insane queues on the road between Como and Brunate when we walked on the road coming back from a small hike, where the cars basically didn’t move, so it could add up quite a lot of time if you happen to go in rush hour.
There are some places you can park in Brunate for free and for a fee.
Hiking
We had planned to go hiking to Brunate, as it’s a beautiful 4-kilometer trail going from Como to Brunate.
But the heat was too much for both us and Atlas to take on a steep 1.5-hour hike, so we opted for the funicular and decided to hike back down around sunset.
At the end, we spent too much time hiking to Volitano Lighthouse and taking pictures of the views, and walking around Brunate, so sunset came and left, and we ended up taking the funicular back down.
According to a local, it’s about an hour to walk down, but she said it’s pretty steep, and I didn’t have the best shoes on for scrambling down in the dark.
Summing up what to do in Brunate
Summing up, there’s enough to do in Brunate to spend half a day, especially if you opt for hiking to Volitano Lighthouse.
Brunate is such a charming little village, and we loved seeing the Art Nouveau houses, which made Brunate so colorful and unique.
I can absolutely recommend going to see Brunate, even if you only spend a day in Como.
Happy travels!