From Como, you can see a red-and-yellow little train climbing the hill to a village about 500 meters higher. That village is called Brunate and proudly carries the nickname “the Balcony of the Alps.” From Brunate, you have a stunning view over Lake Como and the mountain ranges of the Apennines. On a clear day, you can even see the skyline of Milan!

Brunate is very easy to reach by funicular from the Piazza de Gasperi station in Como. The ride takes just six minutes. Halfway along the route, the two trains pass each other, and (sometimes) a cannon salute is fired.

Today, the little train is popular with tourists, but make no mistake—it played a major role in the development and history of Brunate. Originally, the village could only be reached by a donkey path built in 1817. The residents earned their livelihood mainly through agriculture and livestock. In 1894, the cable railway was built using a steam-powered train. This makes the Como–Brunate funicular one of the oldest cable railways in Italy.

Brunate then became attractive to wealthy entrepreneurs who built beautiful villas there. These buildings are architectural gems in Jugendstil and Art Nouveau, complete with elegantly landscaped gardens. The people of Brunate became construction workers and increasingly active in the households of their new aristocratic neighbors.

Tourism continued to flourish in Brunate. The Grand Hotel Milano, built in 1910 next to the train station, proves that Brunate was indeed an important international tourist destination. Today, the hotel stands empty and looks more like a squat. 

The steam train was replaced by an electric train in 1911. Unfortunately, tourism declined after fifty years and completely collapsed after World War II.

In Brunate, you can visit the monastery of Sant’Andrea Apostolo. In one of the side walls, there is a memorial plaque for a famous resident. None other than Alessandro Volta, the inventor of the battery, was born in Brunate. He spent the first thirty months of his life there. Another highlight is the Faro Voltiano, an old lighthouse dedicated to Volta. You can visit and climb the lighthouse. From the top, you have a magnificent view of Lake Como.

Looking for something more active? From Brunate, a hiking trail takes you in about two hours to the peaks of Monte Boletto and Monte Bolettone.

Today, Brunate has only 1,800 residents. Many beautiful buildings are vacant and slowly falling into disrepair. Brunate is asleep. Its vibrant glory days are long gone, and the people of Brunate seem to have made peace with that. If only Volta could change the battery one more time. Fortunately, many tourists still take the little train each day, so Brunate isn’t entirely forgotten…