Lake Como · With kids

Over 400 historic Lake Como boats in a converted 19th-century spinning mill on the western shore — barges, fishing boats, racing motorboats and the lake's oldest ferry. The museum's own site lists Thursday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm; hours vary by season, so check before making the drive north.

Ten rope courses in conifers on a 900m plateau about 15km above Bellagio, plus archery. Baby routes start at age three; the rest go by height, from 120cm up. Single routes run €12–€22 and combo tickets €17–€34; booking online is required, and accompanying adults and non-climbing siblings get in free.

Como's lakeside swimming complex beside the Villa Olmo gardens, with pools, grass, a bar and lake access. It is a summer-only operation and the water is cold well into June, but it is the easiest place in the city to let children off the leash for an afternoon.

A small round museum on the Como lakefront holding Alessandro Volta's own instruments and the first batteries. Twenty minutes is enough, it is right by the funicular and the boats, and it works well as a wet-afternoon filler for school-age children.

Bellagio and Varenna are built as staircases and the lakeside paths have steps and railings, so a carrier beats wheels almost everywhere. Trains and the car ferries are the step-free part of the network, and the ferry's open deck is usually the bit children remember.