To start with he ignored a queue of rich would-be buyers ready to part with more than US$25million for his mansion, now he's shrugged off the find of a half-ton cache of wartime explosives in the water less than 15 metres away. Actor George Clooney is clearly so smitten with his $10million pad in Laglio, on Italy's Lake Como that he's not about to move anytime soon.

And who can blame him? Hardly anyone comes to Lake Como without being won over by its picture-postcard beauty. Such is its star quality that scenes from Daniel Craig's first appearance as James Bond and Star Wars blockbuster Attack of the Clones were filmed here while Cernobbio, on Lake Como's south-western tip numbers Angelina Jolie, Sharon Stone and Sir Paul McCartney among its fans. Clooney bought his 25-room Villa Oleandra in 2002, a few miles north of Cernobbio.

However, thankfully one doesn't need to have a millionaire's bank balance to buy a property around the lake. In Clooney's adopted home, a 36-apartment lakeside complex recently came on the market with prices ranging from Euro 137,600 to Euro 400,000 for a two-bedroom property. In Lenno, some 15km up the same coast, newly built apartments can start from less than Euro 170,000. And in nearby Tremezzo, a lake-view apartment was recently available for Euro 250,000.

Even bigger bargains can be found further north up the lake. Areas on the north-west shores such as Dongo, Musso, Domaso and Pianello Lario are a popular alternative on a Euro 275,000-300,000 budget.

In Pianello Lario, a development of lake-view properties 600 yards from the lake and wit pool starts at just Euro 110,000 for a one-bedroom property to Euro 205,000 for a villette. Given the proximity of the Alps rental potential is very good, typically around Euro 900 weekly. The village of Gravedona, some four miles north is cheaper still. Here, budget a little over Euro 100,000 for a two-bedroom flat with a view over the water, albeit you may have to settle for being slightly away from the water.

Lake Como has attracted visitors from all walks of life almost since time immemorial. The Roman writer Virgil referred to its beauty. A few decades later, Roman politician Pliny The Younger owned a couple of villas here. Early in the 19th century Shelley wrote in glowing terms about how Como "exceeds anything I ever beheld in beauty". And author Henry James was left spellbound as he said: "One can't describe the beauty of the Italian Lakes, nor would one try if one could."

It's obvious why. The lake is Italy's third largest after Garda and Maggiore and is 145sq km of calm blue water overlooked by mountains and woodland, a picture postcard of breathtaking beauty.

The vista is stupendous from pretty much throughout its 110-mile shoreline. But it's hard to top its middle section around Bellagio, Menaggio and Varenna, where the lake breaks off into two forked arms, that run to Lecco and Como.

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