The prettiest towns on Lake Como

Even those who have never visited Lake Como are familiar with the clusters of candy-hued facades whose reflections shimmy on the shimmering cobalt water. For centuries, Italian high society mingled over fine wine along the spectacular waterfront villas – long before the lake started to draw well-heeled tourists and celebrities alike.

Julius Caesar conquered Como in 49 BC, and the city has the ruins to prove it, from marble columns along Via Cesare Cantù to the Roman baths of…