Tauck Value Includes:
TAUCK’S YELLOW ROADS! A picture-postcard setting awaits along every turn, dip and bend of Tauck’s winding Yellow Roads through the beautiful Italian Lakes region – tranquility perfected
TAUCK EXCLUSIVE! – After-hours guided visit to St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, without the daytime crowds; explore the treasures of the “Greek Cross” floorplan unhurried
A cooking class in Bologna, the food capital of Italy, boasting an epicurean delight for every palate; learn the secrets of its cuisine from a master chef and enjoy a memorable dinner
Magnificent art surrounds you, from Milan’s architectural treasures to a da Vinci masterpiece.
gargoyles and stained glass. A more recent architectural wonder is the Galleria, a vast 19th-century shopping arcade whose massive glass dome shelters brilliant mosaics, stylish shops and cafés. Take a short walking tour of the Galleria and the Duomo Square. After lunch on your own, visit the Pinacoteca di Brera, housing one of the world’s greatest collections of Italian art, including works by Raphael, Caravaggio, Bellini and Tintoretto. Enjoy dinner on your own tonight; your hotel is across the street from one of Milan’s most elegant boulevards, famed Via Napoleone. Meals B
3. BEAUTIFUL LAKE COMO AND BELLAGIO Lake Como is the most beguiling of the Italian lakes, sought after for centuries by aristocrats and film stars for its lush waterways, luscious villas, and the stunning Alps as a backdrop. Travel to Tremezzo to visit the 17th-century Villa Carlotta, called “a place of heaven,” set on acres of landscaped gardens. Take a private boat to Bellagio, a resort town on the tip of a slender peninsula with spectacular views of the lake and mountains. Glimpse some of Lake Como’s famed villas on a private cruise on the lake before returning to shore to continue to your opulent hotel in Stresa. Nestled in a park-like setting on the shores of Lake Maggiore, enjoy a two-night stay; built in 1861, it evokes the grandeur and romance that personified the Belle Époque era. Meals BD
4. LAKE MAGGIORE AND A VISIT TO ISOLA BELLA Long and languorous, Lake Maggiore, with its secluded villas and lazy islands, offers a retreat from the bustle of the city. Take a boat to Isola Bella and the ancient home of the Borromeo family, Palazzo Borromeo. Rising on a small island of landscaped gardens and terraces, the Baroque palazzo has hosted countless illustrious visitors, including Napoleon and Josephine. A tour reveals exquisite works of art; stroll through a classic Italian garden, filled with exotic plants, as you please. Depart Isola Bella and return to Stresa to
26
Discover the centuries-old art of producing balsamic vinegar, a northern Italy specialty, on a tour that includes a tasting
A visit to an agriturismo for a wine tasting and lunch in the beautiful Franciacorta region
Airport transfers upon arrival and departure as noted
19 meals (10 breakfasts, 3 lunches & 6 dinners); service charges, gratuities to local guides, admission fees, taxes and porterage
explore at your leisure. The remainder of the day is free to enjoy your resort’s amenities, such as the spa, or perhaps take the cable cars of Mattarone for superb views of the Alps and the lake. Meals B
5. MEDIEVAL BERGAMO / ON TO VERONA Depart Lake Maggiore and head for the ancient town of Bergamo; explore the town’s Città Alta (“upper city”), its walled, hilltop medieval center, with a local guide. Visit the lovely Piazza Vecchia; the Romanesque Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, begun in the 12th century; and the adjacent Cappella Colleoni, a colorful masterpiece of Renaissance architecture. Continue on to an agriturismo in Franciacorta for a wine tasting and lunch. Arrive late afternoon in Verona, where you’ll spend the next two nights at the Hotel Due Torri, just a stone’s throw away from the famed balcony that inspired Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Enjoy dinner at your leisure in the hotel this evening. Meals BLD
6. VERONA, HOME OF “ROMEO AND JULIET” A guided walking tour of Verona reveals that this city is second only to Rome in its number of Roman ruins. Pastel villas, built from rosso di Verona, the local pink limestone, line the cobbled streets... and Romeo and Juliet resided. But besides its romantic history, the city is celebrated for its outstanding wine and cuisine. Spend the rest of the afternoon and evening as you please. Meals B
7. MANTUA AND SPILAMBERTO Mantua (Mantova), a city of imposing Gothic architecture, bounded on three sides by lakes, is the birthplace of the poet Virgil and the setting for Verdi’s Rigoletto. Your tour includes the Palazzo Ducale, and the Castello San Giorgio, a 14th-century fortress that houses some classic works of art. After lunch, drive to Spilamberto, famous for the balsamic vinegar that is produced
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156