Lecco is located on the eastern shore below the dramatically steep cliffs of Monte Coltignone to the northwest and the Resegone to the east. It can be reached from the west by two bridges that span the River Adda (Lake Como's only outflow river). The town of Lecco is more or less equal in size to Como. There is a lot of rivalry between Lecco and Como and although the Como arm of the lake and its single northern reach are part of Lake Como, the people of Lecco refer to the eastern arm as Lake Lecco! Lecco was an important town because of its strategic position and was an active trading centre by 1100. Lecco is good for shopping and also has many bars and cafes. You can see a statue of Lecco’s famous writer Alessandro Manzoni (1785-1873); his childhood home is now a museum with a collection of memorabilia.
