The Italian Lakes are one of the most beautiful parts of Italy and maybe even Europe. I love going to the Italian Lakes because there is a mixture of wonderful scenery, large expanses of water, historic towns and great Italian restaurants.The Italian Lakes occupy the northern part of Italy but, in fact, they also cross into Switzerland and Germany. The Italian Lakes consist of Lake Garda, Lake Maggiore and Lake Como. George Clooney has a villa on the shores of Lake Como but he is not the only famous face to be seen in this beautiful area.
Lake Maggiore
Locarno is located at the northern tip of Lake Maggiore and the town is actually in Switzerland. The scenery here is hard to beat and the town itself has a mixture of luxury hotels and excellent restaurants. Locarno is a peaceful town and there is not much to do apart from admire the stunning scenery and dip your feet in the cool water.
There is one trip, however, that you should take when you are in Locarno and that is to take the funicular to Santuario della Madonna del Sasso which is a church that sits on a clifftop above Locarno. The views of Lake Maggiore from here are unbeatable.If you are driving south out of Locarno you should take the amazing road that follows the Maggia River. Apart from the incredible scenery you will see pretty villages and huge waterfalls.
There are plenty of stopping places where you can get a drink and a snack and breath in the Alpine fresh air. If you want to stop for a walk beside the lake, you should stop at Ascona where there is an excellent waterfront promenade and many cafes.
Lake Como
If you want to explore Lake Como there are plenty of winding roads for you to drive on but you won’t see much if you are the driver as you will need to keep your eyes on the road. The best way to see Lake Como is to take a ferry, and there are plenty of them that chug around the towns and villages on the shores of Lake Como.If you want to see one of the areas most stunning villas then you should stop at Villa Carlotta in Cadenabbia. The villa and the grounds are stunning and a visit here will give you a glimpse of times gone by.
The town of Bellagio is situated on Lake Como and is best accessed by ferry. There are plenty of restaurants along the waterfront but they can be expensive. You can then take the ferry to the village of Varenna where the houses are built into the steep mountain and colourful flowers in summer make it look like a picture postcard.
Lake Garda is probably the most visited of the Italian Lakes and you have the added attraction of being close to the beautiful city of Verona where you can go shopping in one of the many designer shops or go to the famous Verona outdoor opera.Lake Garda itself is stunning. The town of Riva is situated at the far north end of Lake Garda and small villages and towns are scattered along the Garda coastline. Bardolino is a pretty town with some reasonably priced hotels and plenty of waterfront restaurants and at the south end of Lake Garda is the town of Garda itself with its Medieval walls.
All the towns on Lake Garda are linked by a water bus and I can recommend that you use this as it makes it much easier to get around and at the same time you get to see more of the beautuful area of Lake Garda.Here at Global Holidays we can organise your holiday to the Italian Lakes. We can use any airline including the budget airlines and put together a low priced holiday to the Italian Lakes for you.
Just call us on 0845 299 4450 to speak to one of our friendly sales consultants.
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