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There are those who are to the manor born. Valentina De Santis was to the grand-hotel born. Her grandfather acquired one of the lake’s hospitality legends, the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, in 1975. Born in 1982, Valentina grew up wandering its corridors and getting little “don’t tell mum and dad” treats from the kitchen staff. Gradually, her sense of the hotel as one big playhouse morphed into a fascination with its inner workings and the mysterious qualcosa that keeps a venerable luxe hotel fresh and relevant. When her father talked her into joining the family business as the “GHT” celebrated its centenary in 2010, this interest became a professional one. Just over a decade later, the family acquired Villa Passalacqua, an 18th-century lakeside villa not far from Tremezzo. We spoke with her about the most beautiful time to visit Como, when the streets are less crowded and the days get crisper.
Let’s talk timing – is there a sweet spot for visiting Como and embracing life as the locals do?
I love late fall and the beginning of winter. In recent years, early October has been almost as busy as summer, but numbers start dropping off in the month’s second half. By November, when most hotels have closed for the season, it’s pretty much just us locals. But alongside a few other hoteliers around Como, my family and I have embraced the challenge of extending the season. Passalaqua now stays open all through November and December into the first week of January.
What do you love more about these end-of-year months?
The light. The lake changes with the seasons. At this time of year, you either get crisp days when you can almost reach out and touch the opposite shore or romantic mornings when what we call la bruma – a kind of winter mist – rises off the water and everything is hazy and indistinct. You also get the most incredible sunrises and sunsets, and I love to go for long walks with family and friends in the chestnut woods. We always come home with bagfuls of chestnuts. Then begins the fun of roasting them.
Are there any travellers visiting during this cooler time of year?
Milan is only an hour away, and so is the Swiss border, so there are a few visitors – especially on the weekends. Many villa owners like to spend time here in the low season, too. But mostly, it’s just us locals.
Where can people find you eating come fall and winter?
Tremezzo is known by international visitors for its lake views and the historic villas that line it, but its historic centr – or rather historic centers, because the town is actually a cluster of semi-independent villages – are up above. It’s a genuine place with a mountain soul. To experience it, you should head for a family-run trattoria called La Fagurida, which has been running since 1974. They always have one daily special pasta or risotto, and they do lake fish, roast rabbit, polenta, and grilled homemade sausages – simple mountain food. In summer, they’re pretty busy, but out of season, you’ll see only locals here. For me, the menu is more suited to the cooler months.
