Finding less touristy holiday destinations is always high on my list when booking European breaks — and this year’s choice was a great place to visit for that very reason. The stunningly beautiful location is surrounded by mountains, lakes and the most fastest-running river I’ve ever seen, plus, the food was exceptional.
Many parts of Europe are plagued with overtourism and, in my view, sightseeing with hundreds of others flocking to the same spot mars the experience, so discovering an Italian city with a true local vibe was exciting. It was June when my partner and I flew to Northern Italy before making our way to Lecco, a city right beside Lake Como, yet not saturated with tourists. The city has a handy train station so getting to other nearby beauty spots is easy — and there is, of course, much to see in Lecco itself.
From gigantic pizzas, to the remains of an ancient fishing village as well as historic churches, some unique shops and quiet narrow streets, a visit to the city Lecco ensures you become immersed in the authentic way of life here.
But it was while we were walking the city’s streets in the Lecco suburb of Pescarenico that we came across something completely by chance — and it was interesting to see, yet rather unsettling.
Adjacent to the delightful little parish church of Santi Materno e Lucia is something you certainly don’t often see: a pile of skulls on display through a glass section of an old wall.
The skulls date back to 1699, and they’ve remained in the same spot for over 300 years. Their grim origin, explained on the Lecco Tourism website, really makes you stop and reflect on how precious life is.
Lecco Tourism reported on the origin of the skulls: “The parish church of Santi Materno e Lucia and the former monastery of Fra’ Cristoforo lie in Piazza Padre Cristoforo in the Pescarenico district.”
The tourism website added: “There is an ossuary dating from 1699 in front of the church containing the remains of Franciscan friars who died of the plague, with an iron-grated window through which numerous skulls can clearly be seen.”
Though it may be a disturbing sight, it was actually one of the most memorable parts of the trip. But beyond the skulls, there were plenty of other, far more pleasant things in Lecco that made the holiday special.
We stayed at the NH Lecco Pontevecchio Hotel and had a gorgeous view of the River Adda – the water was an exceptionally stunning colour framed by mountains, nature and greenery.
The rooms at the NH Lecco Pontevecchio Hotel were really nice and the breakfast was one of the most delicious I’ve tried on my travels over the years. The food at nearby restaurants was also really tasty and authentic.
One restaurant we really loved was Da Ceko Il Pescatore which you get to via a riverside walk which takes you through the remnants of an ancient fishing village. Here we tried fresh fish from Lake Lecco or Lake Como – and the eatery is run by the third-generation of a local fishing family.
In the heart of the city we also tried the largest yet thinnest pizzas in the Federico Dal restaurant, the place was bustling and unsurprisingly, the food was really nice.
There was lots to see and explore in the small city area, including some very chic little shops with a feeling of the Milan “fashion capital” to them, as well as other gift shops selling unique items.
Milan is reachable by train from Lecco, as are places such as Varenna at the Lake Como side of the region – and the train journey itself runs alongside the lakes making it a really great way to see more of the sights while in transit.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
