Como–Brunate Funicular and Village of Brunate, Como (must see)

Como-Brunate Funicular runs up and down between two towns, Brunate at the top and Como at the bottom. The line has operated since 1894. In August 2011, new cars, each 39 feet long with a passenger capacity of 81, were installed. The trip takes seven minutes at a max speed of 9.8 feet per second.

The lower station is located quayside near the Como city center. The line is 3,556 feet long; 427 feet long are in a tunnel. After leaving the tunnel, one has spectacular views of Como Lake and Como city. Two intermediate stops can be made if requested.

At the top of the line is the center of the picturesque village of Brunate. Brunate is small, ancient, and mysterious. It is the very stuff of stories and legends. A unique special attraction, of course, is the panoramic views of the city, the lake, and the Italian alps. Brunate is home to only 1,800 souls; all that changes radically in summer.

The main square of Brunate is the Church Square (Piazza Chiesa), dominated by the 14th-century Church of Saint Andrew the Apostle. Basically Romanesque, it has two facades, front and back, one ornate and one plain. The square bell tower has a belfry and a clock.

When leaving Church Square, visitors encounter the Church of San Maurizio, a bar, a restaurant, and a pizzeria. Above the Square is the City Park. Past the park is the Lighthouse Faro Voltiano, built in 1927 in memory of Alessandro Volta, a native of Como and inventor of the electric battery.

The Lighthouse has the legend of "Kangucavallo." Once upon a time, an exhausted family of four, including two small children, was struggling to reach the Lighthouse. The father prayed, "I need a kangaroo and horse to carry us up." Enter Kangucavallo, half horse, half kangaroo. The good-natured beast took the family up.

To this day, villagers say, Kangucavallo haunts the forest. He is very friendly, but one must not try to tame him. He has a mind of his own and appears only to the pure heart.