Lakeside city in northern Italy, Which is the nicest lake in Italy?
Which is the nicest lake in Italy?
Lombardy, with its renowned water mirrors reflecting beauty at every corner, is the region of lakes par excellence.
Lakeside city in northern Italy
Here in Northern Italy lies Lake Garda, a lake that boasts the best microclimate in Europe and is the perfect destination for a slow paced-holiday, under the banner of wellness, fine food and a magnificent and unspoilt nature.
Salò
The stretch of Riviera nestled between Salo' and Limone sul Garda is indeed spectacular. Take a tour and it will almost seem like being on the Amalfi Coast everywhere you can see olive and lemon groves on terraces overhanging the lake.
Tremosine sul Garda
And look who beautiful are the hamlets you go through, from Gargnano, still inhabited by the last fishermen who supply the area's restaurants, to Tremosine sul Garda, which has been acknowledged as one of the most beautiful hamlets in Italy and where dwellings are nestled between knolls, hillocks and plateaus covered with olive trees, lawns and fir trees.
Sirmione
Not to be missed: a visit to the Grotte di Catullo, a famous Roman Villa of Sirmione and the Italian Viittoriale of Gardone Riviera, the famous citadel donated to Italians by the poet D'Annunzio.
Lake Maggiore
And what about Lake Maggiore, whose breathtaking landscaped have always struck a chord with artists, literati and poets? Ernest Hemingway, or instance, was so impressed with Luino that he mentioned it in his celebrated work "Farewell to Arms". Visit it too, and you will be pleasantly surprised by this pictoresque hamlet stretched on the shores of the lake.
Or go to Laveno Mombello, where you can breathe a fairy tale atmosphere, enclosed between blue sky and green hills. You will be charmed!
Not to be missed: a visit to the Rocca Borromea of Angera and to the Santa Caterina del Sasso Hermitage.
Lake Iseo
One cannot certainly miss an excursion or a few day's stay on Lake Iseo, a gem of rare beauty with a myriad picturesque villages overlooking its banks, such as Iseo with its restaurants overlooking the lake, ideal for a romantic dinner and Lovere, whose magnificent palazzos, built with harmonious architectural sense, have for centuries framed the harbour piazza, one of the most beautiful among Lombard lakes.
Montisola
In Iseo do not fail to take the boat that in about twenty minutes takes you to Monteisola, the largest lake island in Europe. Once on the island, you can walk or cycle round it along a picturesque circular route, to explore its most enchanting corners.
Not to be missed: a visit to the ancient hamlet of Pisogne and a dinner in Clusane di Iseo, the queen of local fine dining, in whose trattorias you will be able to taste specialities such as baked tench.
Lake Como
Lake Como has been one of the most famous lakes of Lombardy since ancient times and is a concentrate of pure beauty, where you can have glimpses of water and sky, mountains and cliffs and precious villas, whose beautiful parks overflow with wisteria and rhododendrons.
And if in the past the likes of Ugo Foscolo and Lord Byron would lean on the balconies of Villa Pliniana in Como and Alessandro Manzoni and Giuseppe Mazzini would usually stay at Villa Balbianello in Lenno, today top entertainment celebrities may be spotted in the lakeside villas, so much so that VIP-watching has become one of the favourite activities of both residents and visitors to the area. With a bit of lucky you may even happen to spot George Clooney, either jogging or darting through on one of his Harley's.
Bellagio
And if the lake has struck a chord with him, who is always surronded by so much beauty, rest assured it will struck a chord with you too!
Not to be missed: a visit to Bellagio, the Saint Tropez of Lario and to Varenna, picturesque hamlet where you can spend a pleasant evening in one of the lake-view establishments.
On Lombardy lakes you can relax, do sports or spend the evening to dine in a fairy tale setting. A real paradise, definitely worth exploring.