Italian Lakes

Written by Donna on November 25, 2009

A beautiful and romantic location any time of the year, the Italian Lakes – Italy’s Lake District – are located in the far north of Italy close to the Alps and Italy’s borders with France, Austria and Switzerland.

Expect breathtaking backdrops of snow topped mountains overlooking the shimmering lakes, dotted with small towns and pretty villages of historic villas, quaint lakeside restaurants and winding paths leading to hidden boutiques and Italian cafes.

Lake Como, Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore are the most popular Italian lakes but Lake Iseo, Lake Orta and Lake Lugano are part of the group too and as beautiful; each holds its own charm and character.

The largest Italian lake with over 150 km of shoreline is the picturesque Lake Garda (Lago di Garda), located about 20 miles from Verona, 80 miles from Milan and around 100 miles from Venice (plenty of opportunities for multi centre holidays). To the south of the Lake Garda is Sirmione, a fortified town and home of the spectacular 13th century Scaliger Castle, and Desenzano del Garda, a pretty and lively town with three large beaches, a good nightlife, plenty of restaurants and a superb choice of hotel accommodation. To the west of the lake is the Gardone Riviera and Limone, with Riva del Garda at the far north tip. Along the east coast of Lake Garda (north to south) is located Torbole, Malcesine and Garda.

Lake Como or Lago di Como is the third largest lake in Italy after Lake Maggiore and has been a popular location for the rich and famous to live for thousands of years! Currently Lake Como is home to George Clooney, although Madonna, Gianni Versace and Sylvester Stallone are thought to have homes there too. Shaped like the letter “Y”, Como is located at the end of the south west branch, with Lecco on the eastern shores of the eastern branch. Bellagio, Menaggio and Varenna are all located around the central join of the three branches.

As with the northern Lakes of Italy, Lake Maggiore boasts a mild climate, although is better known for the beautiful, exotic and rare plants that grown there. Visit the gardens at the Villa Taranto in Verbania and the gardens above Stresa for excellent examples, during the warm months. There are many islands in Lake Maggiore including the Borromean Islands and Brissago Islands which can be visited by boat.

Hiring a car from one of the major airports in northern Italy means that you have the ideal opportunity to visit more than one lake, although once based in your chosen accommodation travel across the lakes is usually simple by passenger ferry (do watch out for the correct times home). Northern Italy has so much to offer and the lakes can be part of a two centre holiday enjoying a shopping break in Milan or romantic stay in Venice.