Sleeping in Varenna

Varenna, between tourist price hikes and centuries of history

Varenna presents two faces: on one side, the current reality of tourism figures and rates; on the other, a historical heritage rooted in centuries of events, from Vezio Castle to the villas overlooking the lake.

The rise in the tourist tax

According to il Giorno and Larionews, Varenna's tourist tax rates have been raised. However, the two outlets disagree on the details of the new figures: il Giorno reports that the tax for 1- or 2-star hotels would be €2.80 per night per person, €3 for 3-star establishments, €4 for 4-star ones and €5 for 5-star ones, with a €3 charge also applying to B&Bs, holiday homes and farm stays, and claims the tax applies year-round. Larionews contradicts this version. Only Larionews specifies that the new regulation would extend the tax to March and October as well, and that when it was introduced five years earlier, the tax was €1 for hotel accommodations and 90 cents for other types, with the new rate schedule set to take effect from 2018.

Only il Giorno reports certain contextual details not confirmed by other sources: before the increase, Varenna's tax was said to be among the lowest in the area, the town reportedly has more than 150 accommodation facilities hosting over 100,000 guests, and by July the municipality had collected €350,000 in tourist tax revenue, with the new rates expected to double that income. Still according to il Giorno, these funds would go toward managing tourist flows, paying a traffic warden, supporting volunteers from the National Association of Carabinieri, emptying bins, cutting grass and promoting events, as stated by Mayor Mauro Manzoni, who reportedly emphasized that the funds are used to improve the local area and not just for concerts or dance parties.

Tourism figures

Il Giorno and La Provincia agree on one distinctive fact: Americans are the largest nationality among Varenna's tourists, followed by the British. La Provincia, citing data from the Lombardy Region's Regional Tourism Observatory, adds that in 2025 the province of Lecco reportedly recorded a record number of visitors, and that Varenna totaled 56,621 arrivals and 147,872 overnight stays, with the non-hotel sector accounting for 34,670 arrivals and 99,927 overnight stays, and the hotel sector for 21,951 arrivals and 47,945 overnight stays. Still according to this source, the tourism market is 97% foreign in both sectors, led by the United States (35,000 overnight stays), the United Kingdom (11,000), Australia (9,000), and France and Germany (6,000 each).

Leccotoday also reports that Varenna ranks 25th in the list of the most searched-for small Italian villages online, according to a survey by Holidu.it, with 646 inhabitants and an area of 12.57 square kilometres, making it the smallest municipality on the list after Portofino. Online searches for Varenna reportedly total 40,960, with an average accommodation price of €302 — the third most expensive after Portofino and Bellagio — though this marks a drop of seven places compared to the previous year.

Villa Cipressi, a shared heritage

Italia a Tavola and In-Lombardia both trace the history of Villa Cipressi. Both sources report that the villa once belonged to the noble Serponti family and that Baron Isimbardi, who served as its director, set up a workshop of the Milan Mint there. Subsequent owners included the Andreossi family, the Astleys, the baronet Sutton, and finally the Accame family, the last private owners, before the villa was purchased in 1980 by the people of Varenna through a public voluntary subscription in order to be dedicated to public use.

The two sources also agree on the building's structure, made up of three sections with historical layers dating back to the 1400s, 1600s and 1800s, and on the terraced botanical garden that descends to the lake, which is open to the public for a fee and freely accessible to hotel guests. Villa Cipressi is also a venue for legally recognized weddings, serving as the town's civil ceremony site with dozens of ceremonies held there each year. On the villa's location, however, the sources diverge: Italia a Tavola gives the address as Via IV Novembre 22, while In-Lombardia lists a different location.

Only In-Lombardia specifies that the villa is now owned by the Municipality of Varenna, while only Italia a Tavola reports that since 2018 it has been managed by the R Collection Hotels group — the same company that has also owned the Hotel Royal Victoria since 2000 — and that the renovation work was overseen by architect Marco Rossi of Bellano.

Vezio Castle and other attractions

In-Lombardia and Varennaturismo agree that Vezio Castle is an ancient medieval fortification overlooking Varenna. Only Varennaturismo reconstructs its centuries-long history in detail, from its origins as a Ligurian-Celtic settlement to Iron Age artifacts discovered in 1891, through the events of the families who successively controlled it amid destruction, plagues and feudal rule, with management today entrusted to a nonprofit tourism association.

Still according to In-Lombardia, Varenna is also home to an ornithological museum housed in the halls of the old Palazzo Venini, while other local features, such as Fiumelatte and the Church of San Giovanni Battista, are mentioned as among the town's oldest and most distinctive sites.