The Rough Guide to Italian Lakes (Travel Guide eBook)

Rough Guides

Description

Practical travel guide to the Italian Lakes featuring points-of-interest structured lists of all sights and off-the-beaten-track treasures, with detailed colour-coded maps, practical details about what to see and to do in the Italian Lakes, how to get there and around, pre-departure information, as well as top time-saving tips, like a visual list of things not to miss in the Italian Lakes, expert author picks and itineraries to help you plan your trip.

The Rough Guide to the Italian Lakes covers: Milan, Lake Orta, Lake Maggiore, Lake Como, Bergamo, Lake Isea, Brescia and Cremona, Lake Garda, Verona and Mantua

Inside this travel guide you'll find:

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EVERY TYPE OF TRAVELLER
Experiences selected for every kind of trip to the Italian Lakes, from off-the-beaten-track adventures in Lake Maggiore to family activities in child-friendly places, like Milan or chilled-out breaks in popular tourist areas, like Verona.

PRACTICAL TRAVEL TIPS
Essential pre-departure information including the Italian Lakes entry requirements, getting around, health information, travelling with children, sports and outdoor activities, food and drink, festivals, culture and etiquette, shopping, tips for travellers with disabilities and more.

TIME-SAVING ITINERARIES
Carefully planned routes covering the best of the Italian Lakes give a taste of the richness and diversity of the destination, and have been created for different time frames or types of trip.

DETAILED REGIONAL COVERAGE
Clear structure within each sightseeing chapter includes regional highlights, brief history, detailed sights and places ordered geographically, recommended restaurants, hotels, bars, clubs and major shops or entertainment options.

INSIGHTS INTO GETTING AROUND LIKE A LOCAL
Tips on how to beat the crowds, save time and money and find the best local spots for swimming, watersports and eating out.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THINGS NOT TO MISS
Rough Guides' rundown of Lake Orta, Lake Como, Bergamo, Lake Isea's best sights and top experiences help to make the most of each trip to the Italian Lakes, even in a short time.

HONEST AND INDEPENDENT REVIEWS:
Written by Rough Guides' expert authors with a trademark blend of humour, honesty and expertise, to help to find the best places in the Italian Lakes, matching different needs.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Comprehensive 'Contexts' chapter features fascinating insights into the Italian Lakes, with coverage of history, religion, ethnic groups, environment, wildlife and books, plus a handy language section and glossary.

FABULOUS FULL COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHY
Features inspirational colour photography, including the stunning Limone sul Garda and the spectacular Piazza del Duomo.

COLOUR-CODED MAPPING
Practical full-colour maps, with clearly numbered, colour-coded keys for quick orientation in Brescia and Cremona, Mantua and many more locations in the Italian Lakes, reduce need to go online.

USER-FRIENDLY LAYOUT
With helpful icons, and organised by neighbourhood to help you pick the best spots to spend your time.

Sujets

• Travel
• Italy
• My Last Duchess
• Europe

Informations

• Publié par: Apa Publications
• Date de parution: 15 juin 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781839058141
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 13 Mo

Extrait

Contents
Introduction to The Italian Lakes
W here to go
W hen to go
A uthor picks
t hings not to miss
I tineraries
Basics
G etting there
G etting around
A ccommodation
F ood and drink
T he media
F estivals
S ports and outdoor pursuits
S hopping
W ork and study
T ravel essentials
Milan
P iazza del Duomo
A round Piazza del Duomo
C astello Sforzesco
P arco Sempione
B rera
M oscova
V ia Manzoni
T he Quadrilatero d’Oro
G iardini Pubblici and art galleries
S outheast from Piazza Duomo
C orso di Porta Ticinese
T he Navigli
S anta Maria delle Grazie to Sant’Ambrogio
P avia
Lake Orta
O rta San Giulio
A round Lake Orta
Lake Maggiore
S tresa
I sole Borromee (Borromeo islands)
L ake Mergozzo
P allanza (Verbania)
N orth to Locarno
E astern Lake Maggiore
S outhern Lake Maggiore
V arese
Lake Como
C omo
T he lake near Como
T remezzina
M enaggio
B ellagio
N orthern Lake Como (Alto Lario)
V arenna
R amo di Lecco
Bergamo
T he upper town: Bergamo Alta
T he lower town: Bergamo Bassa
B ergamo’s valleys
Lake Iseo
T he western shore
M onte Isola (Mont’Isola or Montisola)
I seo town
T he eastern shore
V al Camonica
F ranciacorta
Brescia and Cremona
B rescia
C remona
Lake Garda
B asso Garda: the lower lake
A lto Garda: the upper lake
Verona
T he historic centre
B eyond the city centre
Mantua
T he centre
S outh of the centre
Contexts
H istory
B ooks
I talian
G lossaries
Small print


Introduction to The Italian Lakes

The Italian Lakes are a little slice of paradise. Generations of travellers from the north, descending wearily from the chilly Alpine passes, have come into this Mediterranean vision of figs and palms, bougainvillea and lemon blossom, and been lost for words. Elegant ribbons of blue water stretch out ahead, folded into the sun-baked foothills; after the rigours of the high Alps, the abundance of fine food and wine must have been a revelation. Warming, awe-inspiring and graced with natural beauty, the lakes are still a place to draw breath and wonder.
These days, of course, mass tourism has found the lakes, and the shoreside roads that link every town can be as packed as the ferries that chug to and fro. But the chief reason to visit the area – its spectacular landscapes – remains compelling, and there are plenty of ways to avoid the crowds.
The lakes – deep, slender fjords gouged by glaciers – are sublime. All are oriented north–south, ringed by characterful old villages often wedged onto narrow beaches between rugged cliffs and the water. And those classic lakes images of flower-bedecked balconies, Baroque gardens and splendid waterside villas can be found here in abundance.
Dotted around and between the lakes are some of Italy’s finest art cities. Milan is pre-eminent, while Verona, Bergamo, Mantua and others display – in their architecture as well as their art – a civilized, urban vision that stands in marked contrast to the wild, largely rural character of the lakeside hinterlands. Italy only became a unified state in 1861 and, as a result, people often feel more loyalty to their home town than to the nation as a whole – a feeling manifest in the multitude of cuisines, dialects and outlooks that span the region.






The lakes in Latin
On maps and in tourist brochures, you’ll notice that the lakes are often referred to by their old Latin names . These titles – which are also much used by writers and poets – evoke a sense of pride in local culture and history, forming a linguistic link between the present and the distant past. For this reason, politicians also love them: when the Province of Novara was reorganized in the 1990s, the new province that resulted, covering territory around lakes Maggiore and Orta, was named “Verbano-Cusio-Ossola”, deliberately playing on the Latin appellations.
For all practical purposes, though, these names are a curiosity: they are rarely used without their modern equivalents – and never on road signs.
Lake Orta “Cusio”
Lake Maggiore “Verbano”
Lake Como “Lario”
Lake Iseo “Sebino”
Lake Garda “Benaco”
Where to go
Stylish, sophisticated Milan needs little introduction – the undisputed “capital” of the north, and richest city of Italy’s richest region, Lombardy. Lombardy often seems to have more in common with its northern European neighbours than with the rest of Italy. As a border region, Lombardy has always been vulnerable to invasion, just as it has always profited by being a commercial crossroads. Emperors from Charlemagne to Napoleon came to Lombardy to be crowned king – and big business continues to take Lombardy’s capital more seriously than Rome. Milan’s pilgrimage status is fourfold. Art – pay homage to Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic Last Supper . Architecture – explore and be awed by the spectacular Duomo inside and out. Music – sample captivating opera at the world-famous La Scala . Shopping – this is one of the world’s fashion capitals. The opulent Certosa di Pavia monastery, set amid the rice fields south of Milan, stands as a monument to the city’s Renaissance rulers.
The lakes are ranged in formation north of Milan, interleaved between the Prealpine foothills. The westernmost is Lake Orta , a pretty little wedge of blue water that holds one of the loveliest of all the region’s medieval villages, Orta San Giulio . The longest of the lakes – Lake Maggiore – lies draped between high ridges of green mountainside. The resorts of Stresa and Pallanza face idyllic Isola Bella , crowned with palaces and Baroque gardens. North lies atmospheric Cannobio , while, across the border, the Swiss neighbours of Locarno and Ascona offer a ritzy allure. Varese is the region’s most underrated city. Penetrate its industrial suburbs and you find a core of cobbled piazzas and stylish boutiques, made unmissable by the superb gallery of contemporary art at Villa Panza .
Forked Lake Como is one of the best-known holiday destinations in Italy, offering, in waterfront villages such as Bellagio and Varenna , the classic images of the lakes. Como itself is a dignified old silk town with a magnificent cathedral, while behind Menaggio and Tremezzo coil scenic mountain footpaths.
The hill-town of Bergamo rises from the plain northeast of Milan. Its Gothic-medieval upper town, characterized by cobbled alleys winding between high-fronted palazzi , is a foodie’s delight, packed with fine restaurants, while the Accademia Carrara is Lombardy’s most prestigious gallery outside Milan.




Limone sul Garda
iStock
A little east, the squiggle of Lake Iseo attracts far fewer visitors and hosts country walks and, on its hilly fringes, prehistoric rock carvings and the prestigious Franciacorta vineyards. Nearby stands Brescia , a hard-working city that boasts an appealing cobbled centre and fine Roman ruins, while a short way south, the medieval town of Cremona is a draw for its history of world-class violin-making.
Marking the eastern limit of Lombardy is Italy’s largest and most famous lake: Lake Garda . The southern shores are flat or gently rolling; highlights here include busy Sirmione , on its long peninsula. To the east, a string of old Venetian ports includes gentle Garda and lesser-visited Torri del Benaco . Garda’s western shore has more classic lake imagery – exotic flower gardens, palm-shaded promenades and fine Art Nouveau villas crowding the waterfront around Salò and Gardone Riviera .
In the north, Lake Garda’s shores are hemmed in by sheer, parallel mountains: the dramatic scenery here takes your breath away. Gargnano village – beloved of D.H. Lawrence – is a highlight on the trip north past Limone to the splendid, once-Austrian resort of Riva del Garda at the head of the lake. As well as a sense of history, Riva, and its neighbour, Torbole , have watersports aplenty, and there are good walks on the crest of Monte Baldo on the eastern shore above Malcesine .
Then there’s Verona , a laidback, romantically minded city a stone’s throw from Lake Garda with, at its core, the glorious Roman Arena , scene of a famous summer opera festival. Roaming Verona’s alleys, dipping into the local taverns and restaurants, is a rare pleasure.
Just to the south, the romantic town of Mantua (Mantova in Italian) makes a compelling side-trip, with spectacular Renaissance frescoes and lotus-fringed lakes.
When to go
The best months to visit are June and, especially, September . At these times, visitor numbers are below their peak, but the weather is lovely: sunshine pouring from blue skies, temperatures that are toasty but not scorching, and magically clear, cool evenings.
The hottest months, July and August , are when the lakes are at their most crowded: weekends in particular can see roads jam-packed with traffic. The cities, especially Milan, can be sweltering, with temperatures topping 35°C for days on end. Spectacular – but short-lived – thunderstorms are common in late August.
Italians take the first two or three weeks of August as their annual holiday; this means the urban centres – Milan, Verona, Bergamo – can feel somewhat artificial, as the only people around are foreign tourists. Many restaurants, bars and shops close altogether.
The season on the lakes runs from Easter to October . Outside these months you’ll find that tourism shuts down: many hotels and restaurants close for the winter, ferry services are reduced or halted and attractions open for shor