It takes a little effort to climb the 200 steps to this enchanting perch over Lake Como, yet it’s precisely the drama of the setting that makes it so special. An 18th-century stone hideaway in a lakefront clearing, it's located on land that used to be a vineyard. The vines have long gone, but the terraces remain, etched with roots.  

This remarkable rustico was discovered by a couple who fell in love with the lake and started property hunting there soon after. It wasn't the home they had expected to buy, and that element of the unexpected only adds to its appeal. They took the ancient walls and created a space to hide away in, a home with minimalist interiors, dark colors on its lower levels and lighter ones above, chosen to take advantage of the natural light. Ascend the ladder from one to the other to enjoy the transition, and savor the lake views through its soaring windows, from a seat on the terrace, or even from bed.

Occupying two levels, this sturdy stone lodge with its picture windows is an upscale mountain refuge, a romantic, well-furnished nest overlooking Italy’s most famous lake. Intensely private, the home is isolated on a dramatic hillside lot, with only two resident goats as neighbors, and nothing in sight except the shimmering waters of Lake Como and the mountains’ silhouettes beyond. 

Getting up to this vacation home for rent in Italy requires a steep, four- to seven-minute trek from the road below. There’s a cable car to ferry your luggage and groceries up to the house upon arrival (and glide them back down at the end of your stay).

The home’s ground floor features a sleekly designed open-plan kitchen and dining area, and a cozy living room with a fireplace atop rustic flagstone floors and embraced by exposed stone walls. Sliding glass doors lead out to a simple covered patio and lawn, where a steep, organic staircase leads down to the waterfront, and an outdoor shower occupies a shipping pallet against a vine-clad stone retaining wall.

A loft-like ladder leads through a trap door landing to the refuge’s second floor, which houses the bedroom and bathroom with a clawfoot tub. The views from the bedroom and its upper-level dining terrace are stupendous, and the deck has an exterior access to the second level, too. The bedroom suite’s décor vibe is hip and bright, with clean-lined modern furnishings, pops of sunshine yellow accents, and skin rugs.

AROUND

This vacation home for rent in Italy is walking distance to the small village of Nobiallo. It sits directly on the shore of Lake Como and has views across the Golden Triangle of Menaggio-Bellagio-Varenna. A 20-minute lakeside promenade leads to the larger community of Menaggio, with its lively restaurants, cafes, and shops, as well as ferry access around Lake Como. Bellagio is a 15-minute ferry ride, and enchanting, glitzy Como is about a 30-minute drive.

With Lake Como in the front yard, boating comes highly recommended as does bicycling the lake’s periphery. Rentals and guides are available as is a Vespa rental for buzzing around the lake’s famously picturesque villages. Hikers have direct access up into the region’s most well-traveled footpaths, and many of Lake Como’s signature villas are open to tourists for visits, concerts, art shows and cultural events. Milan is approximately an hour’s drive.

LOCATION

Menaggio, Lake Como, Italy. Nearest airport: Milan (1 hour).

BEST TIME TO VISIT: April, May or September