🔷 Foreign property searches hit €1.07M on Lake Como

🔹 Hello, Lake Como.

If you still haven’t made it to Lake Como Design Festival, this is your last weekend. It closes on Sunday, after nine days of exhibitions, installations, open studios and talks across Como, Lecco and the surrounding area.

And the creative calendar isn’t slowing down. Lake Como Creativity Week runs from 28 September to 4 October, while Orticolario takes over Villa Erba from 1–4 October.

Before then, plenty is happening: Passalacqua just ranked No.5 on The 50 Best Hotels 2026 list, ComoNExT opened applications for its startup accelerator, and international property searches are putting Lake Como in a price bracket of its own.

Let’s get into it.

-Simona

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What's Happening:

Gate-away.com analysed property enquiries from international buyers between June and August 2026.

On Lake Como, the average value of properties receiving enquiries from foreign buyers was €1.07 million.

Facts:

What does it mean for us?

Lake Como looks like an outlier within Gate-away’s international property market.

But €1.07 million is not what the average foreign buyer actually spends. These are enquiries, not completed sales, and the data comes from one property platform. An average can also be pushed higher by a relatively small number of very expensive villas.

Still, the gap is interesting: the Lake Como figure is around 2.5 times the Italian average and more than three times the next area in Gate-away’s comparison.

The properties attracting international attention here are simply sitting in a very different price bracket from most of Italy.

🚀 NExT Accelerator. Applications open from 15 September to 15 October for up to 15 startups. The programme is equity-free and open to companies established for at least 12 months with technology at TRL 5 or above.

🏨 Passalacqua Ranks Fifth. The Moltrasio hotel placed fifth in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2026 - the highest-ranked hotel in Europe - and won the Best Boutique Hotel award for the third consecutive year.

🎬 Jay Chou in Como. The Taiwanese Mandopop star’s new video for “Sicily” prominently features Villa Saporiti and other Como locations.

🚧 Lakefront Works Continue. Resurfacing near Piazza Cavour is complete, but drainage works and bus diversions should continue until 22 September. A separate five-to-six-week redevelopment has also started on Viale Geno.

🌲 Monte Goj Plan. Lombardy has approved revising an existing €440K safety and reforestation project following August’s fire and subsequent debris flow. Work has not started; the updated plan should be completed by the end of September.

💶 Como Salaries Lag. Average annual employee pay in the province of Como was €25,168 in 2024, compared with more than €30K across Lombardy. Almost half of employees in the province earned less than €25K.

🎨 Como Nuoto Redesign. Bertone Design Group has redeveloped Como Nuoto’s historic lake platform - the first concrete project from their partnership. The platform is also hosting an Origo furniture installation for Como Design Week.

☕ Caffè Milani Tours. On 3 and 4 October, Lake Como-born Caffè Milani opens its Lipomo museum and roasting facilities for guided visits.

🏎️ Outlierman Returns. Lake Como-based automotive-accessories brand The Outlierman returns as an official partner of Milano Watch Week.

DESIGN · 🪑 Lake Como Design Festival
The festival’s final four days bring exhibitions, installations, open studios and talks to venues across Como, Lecco and Laglio; Thursday 17–Sunday 20 September, various times and locations - some events are free, while others require tickets or registration.

FOOD & WINE · 🍷 Bellagio Wine Festival
More than 100 wines, a buffet and live music take over Salita Serbelloni; Friday 18 September, music from 16:00 and tastings 18:00–23:00, Bellagio — ticket required, 18+ only.

ARCHITECTURE · 🏛️ Lecco Scapigliata
Three rarely opened villas linked to Ponchielli, Gomes and Aida librettist Ghislanzoni welcome visitors; Saturday 19–Sunday 20 September, 09:30–12:00 and 14:30–17:00, Lecco - the complete tour is sold out, but individual villa visits remain free without booking.

MUSIC & GARDENS · 🎶 Princess Charlotte’s Musical Walk
Mezzo-soprano Elena Putrino and accordionist Roberto Bottini perform through Villa Carlotta’s botanical park, guided by one of its gardeners; Sunday 20 September, 11:00, Tremezzina - in Italian, ticket required and places limited.