Carlo Linati described Cantù as an "airy village" in one of his frequent trips to Brianza.

Cantù's magnificent position is due to the special light that shines on the town at the foot of the Pre Alps where it nestles amidst a circle of morainic hills. Here we find softened views, and curious pathways and unpaved roads winding up and down through the hills, where one may take solitary morning walks through the countryside.

With a quick glance at a map from 1950, we note that the residential and urban area of Cantù has practically doubled since then. While this occupied one third of the municipal territory before, it now takes up two thirds.

Cantù has always been surrounded by large wooded areas and moors, which were populated by wolves and wild animals until modern times. This provided the town with a healthy environment and plenty of fresh air, up until the time of our modern industrial economy. Peaceful "oases" or retreats were set up in the woods for the nobility, with so-called "villas of delight", which often served as hunting lodges, such as Villa Somigliana at Lissaga, and Villa Orombelli at Fecchio.

The Como and Brianza Moor Regional Park ("Parco Regionale della Brughiera Comasca e Briantea") is a beautiful, modern nature reserve which links the Lariano Region with the upper Province of Milan, and which has a network of trails and footpaths of rare beauty and charm.