Insight Guides Explore Italian Lakes (Travel Guide eBook)

By Insight Guides

Pocket-sized travel guides featuring the very best routes and itineraries.

Discover the best of the Italian Lakes with this indispensably practical Insight Explore Guide. From making sure you don't miss out on must-see attractions like the Borromean Islands, Lake Orta, Lake Iseo, Bergamo and Milan,  to discovering hidden gems, including Trentino, the easy-to-follow, ready-made walking routes will save you time, help you plan and enhance your visit to the Italian Lakes. 

Practical, pocket-sized and packed with inspirational insider information, this is the ideal on-the-move companion to your trip to the Italian Lakes. 

- Over 17 walks and tours: detailed itineraries feature all the best places to visit, including where to eat along the way
- Local highlights: discover what makes the area special, its top attractions and unique sights, and be inspired by stunning imagery
- Insider recommendations: where to stay and what to do, from active pursuits to themed trips
- Hand-picked places: find your way to great hotels, restaurants and nightlife using the comprehensive listings
- Practical maps: get around with ease and follow the walks and tours using the detailed maps 
- Informative tips: plan your visit with an A to Z of advice on everything from transport to tipping
- Inventive design makes for an engaging, easy-reading experience
- Covers: The Borromean Islands, Stresa and Angera Castle, Monte Mottarone and Santa Caterina, Villa Taranto and Lake Mergozzo, Lake Maggiore Express, Lake Orta, Varese and Lake Lugano, Villa Carlotta and Bellagio, Como Town, Ramo di Como and Villa del Balbianello, Bergamo, Lake Iseo, the Franciacorta Wine Trail, Sirmione, Lake Garda, Gardone Riviera, a taste of Trentino and Milan. 

About Insight Guides: Insight Guides is a pioneer of full-colour guide books, with almost 50 years' experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides with user-friendly, modern design. We produce around 400 full-colour print guide books and maps as well as phrase books, picture-packed eBooks and apps to meet different travellers' needs. Insight Guides' unique combination of beautiful travel photography and focus on history and culture create a unique visual reference and planning tool to inspire your next adventure.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Insight Guides
• Release date: Sep 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781839051548

Insight Guides

Pictorial travel guide to Arizona & the Grand Canyon with a free eBook provides all you need for every step of your journey. With in-depth features on culture and history, stunning colour photography and handy maps, it’s perfect for inspiration and finding out when to go to Arizona & the Grand Canyon and what to see in Arizona & the Grand Canyon. 

Book preview

How To Use This E-Book

This Explore Guide has been produced by the editors of Insight Guides, whose books have set the standard for visual travel guides since 1970. With ­top-­quality photography and authoritative recommendations, these guidebooks bring you the very best routes and itineraries in the world’s most exciting destinations.

Best Routes

The routes in this book provide something to suit all budgets, tastes and trip lengths. As well as covering the destination’s many classic attractions, the itineraries track lesser-known sights, and there are also ex­cursions for those who want to extend their visit outside the city. The routes embrace a range of interests, so whether you are an art fan, a gourmet, a history buff or have kids to entertain, you will find an option to suit.

We recommend reading the whole of a route before setting out. This should help you to familiarise yourself with it and enable you to plan where to stop for refreshments – options are shown in the ‘Food and Drink’ box at the end of each tour.

Introduction

The routes are set in context by this introductory section, giving an overview of the destination to set the scene, plus background information on food and drink, shopping and more, while a succinct history timeline highlights the key events over the centuries.

Directory

Also supporting the routes is a Directory chapter, with a clearly organised A–Z of practical information, our pick of where to stay while you are there and select restaurant listings; these eateries complement the more low-key cafés and restaurants that feature within the routes and are intended to offer a wider choice for evening dining. Also included here are some nightlife listings, plus a handy language guide and our recommendations for books and films about the destination.

Getting around the e-book

In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.

Maps

All key attractions and sights mentioned in the text are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map] just tap this to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.

Images

You’ll find lots of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of the destination. Simply double-tap on an image to see it full-screen.

© 2019 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd

Table of Contents

Recommended Routes For...

Art lovers

Castle enthusiasts

Escaping the crowds

Ferry trips

Food and wine

Island hopping

Shopping

Villas and gardens

Explore The Italian Lakes

Shaping the lakes

Local culture

Visitors to the lakes

Rich, royal and famous

Celebrity status

Which lake?

Getting around

Lake trips by boat

Getting high

Milan

Other historic cities

Food and drink

Places to eat

Cafés and bars

Upmarket dining

Ordering your meal

What to eat

Regional risotto and ravioli

Fish

Meat

Cheese

What to drink

Wine and liqueurs

Coffee

Dessert

Shopping

Food and drink

Markets

Fashion in Milan

Como silk

Factory outlets

Bergamo and Brescia

Entertainment

Festivals and events

Festival of San Giovanni

Nightlife

Milan

Activities

Watersports

Hiking and climbing

Cycling and mountain biking

Golf

Extreme sports

Rock-climbing

Skiing

History: Key Dates

Early history

The Middle Ages

Foreign intervention

20th century

21st century

The Borromean Islands

Isola Bella

From a rock to a monument

Borromean Palace

Grottoes and garden

Isola dei Pescatori

Lunch break

Isola Madre

Stresa and Angera Castle

Stresa

Lakeside promenade

Cruise to Angera

Angera and Rocca Borromeo

Doll Museum

Lunch with a view

Back to Stresa

Monte Mottarone and Santa Caterina

Monte Mottarone

Santa Caterina del Sasso

Villa Taranto and Lake Mergozzo

Villa Taranto

The garden

Pallanza

Villa Giulia

Eating options

Suna

Fondotoce Nature Reserve

Lake Mergozzo

Lake Maggiore Express

Stresa to the Upper Lake

Upper Lake Maggiore

North into Switzerland

Ascona

Locarno

Refreshment

Sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso

Centovalli and Valle Vigezzo

Mountain hamlets

Domodossola to Stresa

Lake Orta

Gignese

Sacro Monte

Orta San Giulio

Piazza Motta

Isola di San Giulio

Spiritual injunctions

Sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso

Return to Stresa

Villa Crespi

Varese and Lake Lugano

Varese

Villa Panza

Classical versus contemporary

Lake Varese

Sacro Monte di Varese

Campo dei Fiori Regional Park

Lake Lugano

Lunch in Luino

Porto Ceresio

Villa Cicogna-Mozzoni

Dinner options

Villa Carlotta and Bellagio

Central Lake Como

Villa Carlotta

Highlights

Tremezzo

Bellagio

Shopping along Salita Mella

Villa Serbelloni

Villa Melzi

Eating options

San Giovanni

Como Town and Brunate Cable-car

Como Town

Como Town’s history

A town walk

Como’s Duomo

Piazza San Fedele

Refreshment

Piazza Volta

Sant’Abbondio

Brunate

Evening stroll and dinner

Ramo di Como and Villa del Balbianello

Ramo di Como

Celebrated villas

Laglio

Amalfi Coast

Isola Comacina

Haunted island

Exorcising the demons

Set meal and ceremony

Villa del Balbianello

A cardinal’s retreat

Romantic gardens

Bergamo

Lower Town

Accademia Carrara and GAMeC

Upper Town

Piazza Vecchia

Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore

Colleoni Chapel

Museums of Archaeology and Natural History

La Rocca

Funicular to Lower Town

Lake Iseo

Iseo

Historic centre

Monte Isola

Car-free island

Lunch at Peschiera Maraglio

Peschiera to Sensole

Western shore

Clusane

Sarnico to Riva di Solto

Lovere

Eastern shore

Pisogne

Chiesa di Santa Maria della Neve

Zone Nature Reserve

Dinner options

The Franciacorta Wine Trail

Nature reserve

San Pietro in Lamosa

Franciacorta wine trail

Monticelli Brusati

Bornato

Erbusco

Corte Franca

Dinner in Clusane

Sirmione

Rocca Scaligera

Via Vittorio Emanuele

Spa centre

Church of San Pietro

Grottoes of Catullus

The ruins

Eating options

Lake Garda Cruise

Bardolino

Garda

The Limoni Riviera

Lemon terraces

Gargnano

Malcesine

Scaligero Castle

Monte Baldo Cable-Car

Gardone Riviera

Giardino André Heller

Il Vittoriale

The dictator and the poet

Decadent decor

Relics of the Fiume Fiasco

Lunch options

Salò

A Taste of Trentino

Riva del Garda

Wine country

Rocca di Riva

Piazza Cavour

Piazza 3 Novembre

Torbole

Arco

Drena and Toblino castles

Adamello-Brenta Park

The road to Riva

Dinner in Riva

Milan

The Duomo

La Rinascente

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

La Scala

Museo Poldi Pezzoli

Quadrilatero d’Oro

The Brera

Brera Art Gallery

Nightlife

Accommodation

Lake Maggiore

Lake Orta

Varese

Lake Como

Bergamo

Lake Iseo

Franciacorta

Lake Garda

Milan

Restaurants

Introduction

Lake Maggiore

Lake Orta

Lake Varese

Lake Como

Brescia region

Lake Garda

Milan

A-Z

A

Age restrictions

B

Budgeting

Business hours

C

Children

Villa Pallavicino

Theme parks

Water parks and gardens

Climate

Crime and safety

Customs

E

Electricity

Embassies/Consulates

Emergency numbers

H

Health

I

Internet

L

Left Luggage

LGBTQ travellers

Lost Property

M

Maps

Media

Money

P

Police

Post

Public holidays

R

Religion

S

Smoking

T

Telephones

Useful numbers

Time differences

Tipping

Toilets

Tourist information

Around Lake Maggiore

Around Lake Como

Around Lake Iseo

Around Lake Garda

Milan

Tourist offices abroad

Tours and guides

Transport

Arrival by air

Airports

Arrival by rail

Arrival by car

Transport within the lakes region

Car rental

Driving

Travellers with disabilities

V

Visas and passports

W

Websites

Weights and measures

Language

Useful phrases

General

At a bar/restaurant

Numbers

Getting around

Online

Social media

Books and Film

Introduction

Books

Travel companions

History, society and culture

Fiction and travelogue

Food and wine

Film

Recommended Routes For...

Art lovers

View rich collections of Renaissance art, from Bergamo’s Accademia Carrara (route 11) to Milan’s Museo Poldi Pezzoli and Pinacoteca di Brera, home to Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper (route 18).

Public Domain

Castle enthusiasts

Lake Garda’s shores (routes 14 and 15) are studded with medieval castles. Trentino (route 17) is dotted with fortifications, while Angera (route 2) is home to the imposing Rocca Borromeo.

iStockphoto

Escaping the crowds

Take a dip in unspoilt Lake Mergozzo (route 4), or spend time on the tranquil shores of Lake Iseo (route 12). Relatively unexplored Franciacorta (route 13) is a pretty region for touring.

Fotolia

Ferry trips

Sit back and let the ferries do the work for you. The cruises from Stresa to Locarno (route 5), Como to Bellagio (tour 10) and Sirmione to Malcesine (route 15) are among the most scenic.

Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications

Food and wine

Vinophiles and gourmets will enjoy Franciacorta (route 13), home of Italy’s finest sparkling wine and many great restaurants. Bergamo (route 11) is a foodie favourite. The culinary scene in Milan (route 18) caters for all tastes.

Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications

Island hopping

Follow the crowds to the Borromean Islands (route 1); visit Lake Orta’s Isola di San Giulio (route 6), or lunch on Como’s Isola Comacina (route 10). Hike or bike around Lake Iseo’s Monte Isola (route 12).

Apa Publications

Shopping

Head to the factory outlets of Como (route 9), ‘City of Silk’, for discounted designer clothes and accessories; or browse in the ­boutiques of Bellagio (route 8) or Bergamo (route 11).

Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications

Villas and gardens

Lake Maggiore’s showpiece is Villa Taranto (route 4), while Lake Como boasts villas Carlotta, Melzi and Serbelloni (route 8) and the movie regular Villa del Balbianello (route 10).

iStockphoto

Explore The Italian Lakes

With a mild climate, romantic waterfront views and lush vegetation, the lakes have long been a favoured haunt. Add sports, culture, fashion and gastronomy, and it is little wonder that they remain one of Italy’s most popular tourist hotspots.

Lake Como

Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications

The deep glacial lakes of northern Italy lie between the southern foothills of the Alps, near the Swiss border, and the low-lying plains of the Po Valley. The famous trio are Lake Como, which lies north of the great metropolis of Milan, Lake Maggiore to the city’s northwest and Lake Garda to the east. Although the lakes extend over four regions – Piedmont, Lombardy, Trentino and Veneto – the area is comparatively small and easily covered by car or public transport. The A4 autostrada provides a quick way of getting across the region, and for those who want to explore the shopping delights of Milan, the city is no more than an hour away from Stresa or Como by car or train.

Shaping the lakes

It was glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age that gouged out the ribbons of water that are now the lakes. For over 10,000 years inhabitants have also left their mark on the region, from the prehistoric rock engravings in the Camonica Valley to the remains of Roman villas to the castles and palazzi of the ruling dynasties. The Lombard plain was hardly ideal terrain on which to settle: the marshes needed to be drained and the water channelled into canals. Yet by medieval times it was domesticated and dotted with castles, churches, abbeys and palaces. The transformation, from bog to economic powerhouse, was thanks largely to the industriousness of the lakeside towns’ natives and the advent of a prosperous local mercantile class.

A long life in Limone

The citizens of Limone sul Garda on the northwest shore of Lake Garda have one of the highest rates of life expectancy in Europe, with a large number of healthy residents over 80. The absence of heart disease here has been studied by many scientists, who variously ascribe this exceptional healthiness to climate, diet or genes. The village was isolated until the 1930s – only accessible by boat or by crossing the mountains – so the secret may lie in a limited gene pool and rare blood group. A mystery protein in the locals’ blood, known as Apolipoprotein A-1 (or Apo A-1 Milano), appears to purge fat from the arteries and give a much reduced susceptibility to heart attacks and strokes. All the carriers are descendants from a couple who married in 1644. Genes aside, a mild climate, stress-free lifestyle and cholesterol-free diet of lemons, lake fish and olives all contribute to the fine health of Lake Garda’s residents.

Sailing on Lake Garda

Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications

Local culture

The lakes region’s complex culture can be divided into discrete mini-cultures. The four different regions of the lakes area all have clearly separate identities. But it is the bond with, and loyalty to, their home town that many Italians feel most deeply. The Comaschi (natives of Como), for example, live in close proximity to Milan, one of Europe’s great cities, and yet, far from embracing the cosmopolitan life of the city, they identify only with their own town. Members of Como’s old commercial families have known each other since infancy, and do business together in a relaxed way. Their commitment to local culture embraces everything from the local silk industry to an appreciation of the medieval craftsmen who built Como’s Romanesque churches. The strong sense of regional identity is also reflected in the host of different dialects and cuisines within the region.

Visitors to the lakes

The lakes have long cast a spell over visitors. The Romans were enamoured of the lakeside spas – Catullus owned a villa at Sirmione and Pliny the Younger built two villas at Bellagio. Travellers on the Grand Tour, after a treacherous journey over the Alps, were awestruck by the sudden vision of the sublime lakes and the Mediterranean flora that flourished on the shores. Shelley, Wordsworth and other Romantic poets were bewitched by the dramatic natural beauty of the deep-blue waters and mountain peaks. Henry James was almost, but not quite, lost for words:

‘On, on into Italy we went – a rapturous progress through a wild luxuriance of corn and olives and figs and mulberries and chestnuts and frescoed villages and clamorous beggars and all the good old Italianisms of tradition.’ The sight of sluggish steamers and snow-clad peaks still stirs visitors. But as James said of Lake Como, ‘It’s the place to enjoy à deux – it’s a shame to be here in gross

Reviews for Insight Guides Explore Italian Lakes (Travel Guide eBook)

[thatsfresh_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I bought this, not knowing when I’d be going to Tokyo, but found out I would be going there sooner than I thought. Less that a year after buying this book I found myself in Tokyo for a 4 hour layover. I hadn’t bookmarked anything in this book, and had barely read it, but I had broughtit along with me so when I landed in Japan, I’d know what to do. Thanks to this book I was able to go through the very difficult task of taking all the trains into the city from Narita Airport and rushing to Shibuya, Harajuku and Shinjuku. It was stressful and confusing, but I managed it, and am so happy I did. It totally worth the effort (not to mention money). If this book can guide me in a rush through Japan, then I’m sure it can do its job wonderfully if you actually read the whole book! And the maps Insight Guide includes with numbers, matching with sites being described is so helpful. It also includes a small fold out map (not entirely helpful) with a bunch of restaurants pinpointed on it. Defiantly a necessity for all planning on going to Tokyo.