A trip to Italy with DBF Events
At the end of October, Events Assistant Rachel was invited out to the All About People event in Lake Como, Italy, with DBF events, as well as a pre-tour fam trip in Milan. The flight was a short 2 hours, with some breathtaking views of snowcapped mountains etched into the landscape – if you’re lucky enough for a window seat!
As part of the pre-tour, she got the chance to see the Radisson Palazzo Touring Club and the Radisson Blu Milan, as well as being able to get a feel for what Milan has to offer and how accessible it is with easy links to Lake Como – only an hour at most away. There is plenty to see and do, including walking tours galore, some incredible monuments and historical venues, and with a plethora of different transportation options throughout the city, you can be delivered (or perhaps deliver yourself!) to wherever you wish. Milan itself has incredible architecture and venue spaces all over the city, from the opera house to even the cathedral itself, allowing you to go up on the roof to dine. Then pop over to the Aperol bar to enjoy many different variations of the classic Aperol (don’t worry it’s still included!) and watch the sunset over the exquisite Duomo di Milano.
One of the more popular places is the Galleria, Milan’s oldest shopping gallery. When entering you’re greeted with a whole host of designer shops, almost too many to choose from…almost! Unfortunately, Primark will not be found here…. The glass roof brings spectacular light to the area and shines perfectly on the Milan bull. Legend has it that if you spin around three times anti-clockwise with your right heel on – ahem! – a certain part of the bull in between its two back legs, it will bring you good luck. With numerous rooftop bars and event spaces, it’s a place with plenty to choose from for any kind of event.
Como is the best of the best. It’s a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. With an area of 146 square kilometres, it is classed as the third-largest lake in Italy, after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore, however, the close familial feeling you have walking around Como makes you think otherwise. At over 400 metres deep, it is the fifth deepest lake in Europe, and the deepest outside Norway; the bottom of the lake is more than 200 metres below sea level. Lake Como has been a popular retreat for aristocrats and wealthy people since Roman times and a very popular tourist attraction with many artistic and cultural gems. The landscape itself is spectacular, with mansions and villas nestled along the shoreline, seaplanes coursing through the sky providing breathtaking views of Como in all its splendour, and supercars emerging from unsuspecting cobbled streets.
The Hilton Lake Como enables you to see views such as these from the comfort of your own room, as well as from the rooftop infinity pool and sky bar, where you can enjoy uninterrupted views of the lake from such a height, enabling an incredible view of the sunset (and even sunrise if you can bear being up that early!). You are welcomed in with views through into the foyer and courtyard, where plants are spaced throughout the room to bring the outside in, as well as ceiling tall glass windows and roof, allowing any natural daylight available in thus creating a welcoming and refreshing atmosphere.
Como is a breathtaking place where it seems almost like you’re a world away from anywhere else. Somewhat secluded and away from the hubbub of Milan and local cities, it’s the perfect place to get away and have an event that atmospherically feels exclusive without being too remote or cut off from anything exciting – like a seaplane discovery flight, or a proposal or two!
