Italian Lakes

Lakes Como, Maggiore, Garda and Lugano on the southern slopes of the Alps, lined with villas, gardens and lakeside towns.

The Italian Lakes are a string of glacier-carved lakes on the southern flank of the Alps, spread across Lombardy, Piedmont, Veneto and Trentino and reaching north into the Swiss canton of Ticino. The main lakes: Lake Como (Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio, Villa d'Este and Villa del Balbianello, a favorite celebrity retreat); Lake Maggiore (Stresa and the baroque gardens of Isola Bella in the Borromean Islands); Lake Garda (Italy's largest lake, with Sirmione's castle, Limone and Riva del Garda, plus family holidays and outdoor sports); Lake Orta; and Switzerland's Lake Lugano. A classic itinerary: use Milan as your gateway, stay 2–3 nights on Lake Como and hop by ferry between the three central towns; then spend 1–2 days at Lake Maggiore, or make a day trip to Lake Garda from Verona, for 4–7 days in total. On transport: trains run from Milan to Como, Varenna, Stresa and Desenzano, and public ferries are the most convenient way around the lakes; lakeside roads are narrow and summer parking is difficult, so driving around a lake is not recommended. Popular towns are crowded in summer, and accommodation should be booked ahead in high season.

Destinations

Itineraries