Following signs out of central Cernobbio, take the scenic drive that winds 17km up through the residential villages behind Cernobbio to Monte Bisbino (1325m), a fabulous lookout spot. You won't need to wait to reach the mountain for great views – at every turn on the way up, you look back down on the lake from a different angle.
After a seemingly endless series of switchbacks on an increasingly narrow road that, in its latter stages, is enclosed by a canopy of thick woods, you emerge at the top. Climb the stairs to where the TV antennas are and then take in views of the Como end of the lake, the Lombard plain to Milan and as far off as the Swiss Alps (including the Jungfrau) on a clear day.
