Consonno Ghost Town – Explore the Abandoned “Las Vegas of Lombardy”
Discover Consonno, a surreal abandoned village near Lecco once known as the “Las Vegas of Lombardy.” Explore its eerie ruins, colorful graffiti, and haunting history of a 1960s dream gone wrong. A must-see hidden gem for urban explorers in northern Italy.
LOMBARDIA
Region: Lombardy
Province / Nearest City: Lecco / Olginate
Attraction Name: Consonno – The Abandoned “Las Vegas of Lombardy”
Address: Via Consonno, 23854 Olginate (LC), Italy
Distance from Major City: About 55 km from Milan (1 hour by car), 12 km from Lecco (20 minutes).
How to Get There:
By car: From Milan, take SS36 toward Lecco, exit at Olginate/Garlate, then follow signs to Consonno. The last stretch is narrow and winding—drive carefully.
By public transport: Take a train from Milan to Lecco, then a bus to Olginate. From there, the village is best reached by taxi or on foot (around 1.5 hours uphill hike).
What Makes It Unique in the World:
Consonno was once a quiet farming village until Count Mario Bagno transformed it in the 1960s into his dream project: a flashy “Città dei Balocchi” (City of Toys), complete with a faux-Moorish minaret, a kitschy shopping arcade, and gaudy slogan signs promising endless fun. Locals called it the “Las Vegas of Lombardy.” But the dream collapsed in 1976 when a landslide destroyed the only access road, cutting Consonno off from visitors. Today, the surreal ruins—half amusement park, half ghost town—are covered in graffiti, weeds, and silence, making it a magnet for urban explorers and photographers.
Local Story / Fun Fact:
Despite its eerie quiet, Consonno briefly comes alive once a year during the Sagra di San Maurizio in late September. Food stalls, music, and laughter fill the ruins, creating a strange but heartwarming contrast—one weekend of joy in a place frozen in decay.
Best Time to Visit:
Year-round, but autumn fog makes it especially atmospheric. Spring and summer are good for clearer hikes and exploring in daylight. Avoid late evenings—the area is derelict and not maintained.
Nearby Food & Stay:
After your ghost-town adventure, head back to Olginate or Lecco for hearty Lombard classics like pizzoccheri della Valtellina (buckwheat pasta with cheese and greens) or polenta taragna. For overnight stays, Lecco offers lakeside hotels and B&Bs, or you can choose an agriturismo in the surrounding Brianza hills.