Mercato di Menaggio
Tremezzo has no market of its own, but a 10-minute ferry hop north lands you in Menaggio every Friday morning for one of the most authentic weekly markets on the western shore — a proper working market where locals shop for vegetables, cheese and hardware alongside the occasional tourist.
What You'll Find
The market fills Piazza Garibaldi and spills down Via Calvi from around 8 am to 1 pm. Produce stalls lead with whatever is seasonal: asparagus from the Pianura Padana in April, local courgette flowers and tomatoes in July, porcini mushrooms and late-harvest figs in September. One elderly vendor sells nothing but dried legumes — borlotti, chickpeas and lentils — from enormous hessian sacks.
A dedicated cheese van comes from Valsassina, the valley behind Lecco famous for its alpine dairies, and offers aged formaggi di capra, taleggio and a sharp, crumbly blue called Gorgonzola Piccante that is considerably more interesting than the supermarket version. The vendor will let you taste before you buy.
Beyond the Food
Non-food stalls sell everything from work boots to lace tablecloths, and there is usually a stall of second-hand books in Italian — a good place to find vintage Como photography books at low prices. A hardware merchant sells traditional copper kitchen tools, including the classic paiolo (polenta pot) that makes a more meaningful souvenir than anything sold at the lakeside gift shops.
The market also attracts a small number of artisan producers: a honey-maker from the Val Menaggio sells chestnut and acacia honey, and a herb farmer from Porlezza brings bundles of dried lavender, sage and mountain thyme.
After the Market
Menaggio's lakeside promenade is one of the most pleasant on the western shore — a long, tree-lined walk with benches facing Bellagio across the water. The Caffè Centrale on Piazza Garibaldi has been serving the market crowd for decades and does a fine tramezzino and a glass of local white wine at the bar.
From Menaggio you can also pick up the ferry to Varenna and Bellagio, making a Friday market morning the natural start of a full day of lake-hopping.
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