Italian Lakes Holidays
Italian Lakes
Holidays
The most romantic and beautiful lake district in the world — Lake Como, Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore, with dramatic Alpine scenery, elegant Belle Époque villas, beautiful gardens, charming lakeside towns and the most glamorous and romantic holiday destination in northern Italy
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Flight Time
1h 45m from London (to Milan)
Best Time
May to September
Country
Italy
Suppliers
our travel partners ·
Italian Lakes Holiday Guide
The Italian Lakes are the most romantic and beautiful lake district in the world — Lake Como, Bellagio, Lake Garda, Sirmione and the Borromean Islands. 1h 45m from London to Milan.
May to September is ideal.
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Popular Areas in Italian Lakes
Average Temperatures
Jan
5°C
Feb
7°C
Mar
12°C
Apr
16°C
May
20°C
Jun
24°C
Jul
27°C
Aug
27°C
Sep
22°C
Oct
16°C
Nov
10°C
Dec
5°C
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Call 01282 960 460Top 8 Things To Do in Italian Lakes
Lake Como, Bellagio, Lake Garda, Sirmione, the Borromean Islands, the elegant villas and gardens and the most romantic and glamorous lake scenery in the world.
Lake Como
Lake Como is the most glamorous and celebrated lake in the world — a deep, Y-shaped lake in the foothills of the Alps, 50km north of Milan, with extraordinary scenery of steep wooded hills, elegant Belle Époque villas and gardens, charming lakeside towns and the most glamorous atmosphere of any lake in Europe. The lake has been a retreat for the European aristocracy and the international jet set for 200 years. George Clooney's Villa Oleandra (in Laglio) is the most famous private villa on the lake.
Bellagio
Bellagio is the most beautiful village in Italy — a charming town on the promontory at the centre of Lake Como, where the two arms of the lake meet, with extraordinary views in three directions, elegant Belle Époque hotels (the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni is the finest hotel on the lake), beautiful gardens (the Villa Melzi gardens are the finest on the lake) and the most romantic atmosphere of any town in northern Italy. The ferry connections from Bellagio to Varenna and Menaggio are the finest way to explore the lake.
Lake Garda
Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy — a vast, beautiful lake at the foot of the Alps, with a dramatic northern section (narrow, fjord-like, with towering cliffs) and a wider, more Mediterranean southern section (with olive groves, lemon trees and sandy beaches). The most beautiful towns include Sirmione (on a narrow peninsula in the south, with a beautiful medieval castle and Roman ruins), Riva del Garda (the most dramatic town, at the northern tip of the lake) and Malcesine (the most charming town on the eastern shore).
Sirmione
Sirmione is the most beautiful lakeside town in Italy — a charming medieval town on a narrow peninsula jutting into the southern end of Lake Garda, with a perfectly preserved 13th-century Scaligero Castle (the most beautiful medieval castle on the Italian lakes), the extraordinary Roman ruins of the Grotte di Catullo (the largest Roman villa in northern Italy, with extraordinary views of the lake) and the most romantic atmosphere of any town on Lake Garda. The thermal spa (Terme di Sirmione) is the finest in northern Italy.
Lake Maggiore & Borromean Islands
Lake Maggiore is the most elegant and aristocratic of the Italian lakes — a long, narrow lake on the border of Italy and Switzerland, with the most extraordinary gardens in northern Italy (the Borromean Islands — three small islands in the middle of the lake, with extraordinary Baroque palaces and gardens built by the Borromeo family in the 17th century). Isola Bella (with its extraordinary terraced garden) and Isola dei Pescatori (the most charming fishing village on the lake) are the finest attractions on Lake Maggiore.
Food & Wine
The Italian Lakes region has excellent food and wine — the most celebrated dishes include risotto al pesce persico (risotto with perch, the most traditional lake dish), missoltini (dried shad, a traditional Como speciality), polenta e ossi (polenta with small birds — a traditional Lombard dish) and the finest bresaola (air-dried beef) in Italy (from the Valtellina valley above Lake Como). The wines of the region include the excellent Franciacorta (the finest sparkling wine in Italy, from the hills south of Lake Iseo) and the Valtellina reds.
Milan Day Trip
Milan is the finest day trip from the Italian Lakes — 1 hour from Lake Como and Lake Maggiore by train, 1.5 hours from Lake Garda. The city has the finest fashion and design in the world (the Quadrilatero della Moda — the most exclusive shopping district in Italy), Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper (the most celebrated painting in the world, in the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie — book months in advance), the extraordinary Duomo (the largest Gothic cathedral in Italy) and the finest opera house in the world (La Scala).
Practical Tips
The nearest airports are Milan Malpensa (for Lake Como and Lake Maggiore) and Bergamo Orio al Serio (for Lake Garda). A hire car is useful for exploring the lakes but the ferry services between the lakeside towns are excellent and are the most atmospheric way to get around. May to September is the best time to visit — the weather is warm and the lakes are at their most beautiful. July and August are the most crowded. The lakes are popular for weekend breaks from Milan — book accommodation well in advance.
Explore Italian Lakes on the Map
Key areas, beaches and attractions across the island.
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