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IMAGES: BRESCIA TOURISM; FOTOTECA ENIT


italian Lakes | destination Lake Como


When romantic poet William Wordsworth traveled to Lake Como in 1790, he was moved to describe it as “a treasure which the world keeps to itself”. Tese days the secret’s well and truly out, but the lake’s fairytale setting — ringed by the snow-covered Alps and dotted with picturesque waterside villages — means it remains one of Italy’s greatest scenic treats.


Tere’s beauty not just in the fact it offers so


many photogenic viewpoints (its long upside- down ‘Y’ shape stretches 30 miles from end to end), but in there being so much to see and do along its shores. Como and Lecco are the principal towns, both with centuries-old buildings, but for most the real charms are sourced in attractive villages such as Varenna, Menaggio and Bellagio. Bellagio, from which the Vegas resort takes


its name, is often called La Perla del Lago, ‘the Pearl of the Lake’. Its cobbled streets, peaches-


and-cream buildings and exquisite green surroundings make it a hugely romantic spot, while hotels such as the deluxe Villa Serbelloni, which has welcomed everyone from JFK to Clark Gable, still draw a discerning crowd. From Bellagio, it’s possible to take a steamer


across the water to the similarly fabled Varenna, where booking a terrace table at the Albergo Milano hotel’s Ristorante La Vista comes highly recommended. If walking or cycling is your thing, nearby Menaggio provides a near-perfect base.


Lake Como. Below: Sirmione, Lake Garda


Lake Garda


Italy’s largest lake is also the country’s most visited, and when you see its intense blue waters and medieval buildings first-hand, you won’t find this surprising. It sits in the very east of Lombardy, set well apart from the other main lakes, and it’s perhaps this that gives it such a singularly languid character. Te lake attracts plenty of active family groups and watersports enthusiasts, but its size and variety make it a great place for indulging in gentler pleasures. Te two opposite ends of the lake are different


in character. In the north, steep mountains angle into the water and villages perch on cliff sides, while in the wider south the lake is surrounded


OTHER ITALIAN LAKES...


n LAKE ISEO: A largely little-visited gem of a lake, with the inhabited island of Monte Isola at its center. n LAKE IDRO: Great for swimming and windsurfing, this small wooded lake also plays home to various campsites. n LAKE ORTA: One of the least known of the


lakes, Orta is popular with the Milanese locals. n LAKE VERESE: This tranquil glacial lake is a favored option among cyclists, thanks to the 17-mile bike trail around it. n LAKE ENDINE: Making up in calm beauty what it lacks in size, this is a well-frequented weekend spot over the summer.


by mellow hills and peaceful holiday resorts. You’ll generally find plenty of reward wherever you go, and with ferries making regular sailings between the main tourist spots, it’s easy to sample a few different stop-offs. Te most notable towns and villages along the


lakeside include the perennially popular Riva del Garda, a historical town on the northwest shore. Call in for a meal at Restel de Fer, run by the same family for centuries with excellent traditional dishes, or take a room at the superb Lido Palace Hotel, welcoming visitors since 1899. Along the west shore, meanwhile, the pretty


village of Gargnano is still a wonderful place to spend time. It’s closely associated with the writer D. H. Lawrence, who lived here for a time after succumbing to the lake’s placid beauty. u


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