One of the city's most common exploratory walks begins at the Piazza Cavour and continues on to the Piazza del Duomo before turning into the major shopping streets, Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Luini, which cut perpendicularly through the net of narrow alleyways in the typical fashion of the old Romans who founded the city some 2000 years ago.

A fabulous market is held three times a week under the old Roman walls and their Porta Torre. There's a lovely boardwalk along the western shoreline of the lake which will take you to the Tempio Voltiano, built in honor of Alessandro Volta, inventor of the battery, and to Villa Olmo, a neo-classic structure surrounded by a public park.

A most enjoyable view is afforded from Brunate, alt. 716 meters, which can be reached by funicular cars first opened in 1894. Be sure not to miss Museo della Seta (silk museum), wholly dedicated to the precious fabric upon which the city's fortune was founded.