Table Of ContentP
D
F
The Italian
Lakes
PDF ebook
Edition 3rd Edition
Release Date Jan 2018
Pages 280
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4 easy-to-use How to use this book
sections
Look for these symbols to quickly identify listings:
1 5
Sights Eating
r 6
Beaches Drinking
2 3
PLAN YOUR TRIP Activities Entertainment
C 7
Courses Shopping
Your planning tool kit
T
Photos & suggestions to help Tours 8 Information
you create the perfect trip. & Transport
z Festivals
& Events
All reviews are ordered in our writers’ preference,
starting with their most preferred option. Additionally:
Eating reviews are ordered by price range (budget,
midrange, top end) and, within these ranges, by writer
preference.
ON THE ROAD
Your complete guide
Expert reviews, easy-to-use
maps & insider tips.
These symbols and abbreviations give vital
information for each listing:
Must-visit recommendation
Sustainable or green recommendation
No payment required
% Telephone number f Ferry
UNDERSTAND h Opening hours j Tram
p Parking d Train
Get more from your trip n Nonsmoking a pt apartments
Learn about the big picture, to a Air-conditioning d double rooms
make sense of what you see. i Internet access d m dorm beds
W Wi-fi access q quad rooms
s Swimming pool r rooms
v Vegetarian selection s single rooms
E English-language menu ste suites
c Family-friendly tr triple rooms
# Pet-friendly tw twin rooms
g Bus
SURVIVAL GUIDE
Your at-a-glance reference For symbols used on maps, see the Map Legend.
Vital practical information
for a smooth trip.
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
The Italian
Lakes
Lake Maggiore
& Around
p86 Lake Como
& Around
p116
Bergamo, Brescia
& Cremona
Milan p150
p52 Lake Garda
^# & Around
p176
Paula Hardy, Marc Di Duca, Regis St Louis
P LAN
ON THE ROAD
YOUR TRIP
Welcome to MILAN . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 LAKE MAGGIORE
the Italian Lakes . . . . . . . . 4 Neighbourhoods & AROUND . . . . . . . . . 86
The Italian Lakes Map . . . 6 at a Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Lake Maggiore
The Italian Lakes’ Top 14 . . 8 Sights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 West Bank . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Need to Know . . . . . . . . .16 Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Stresa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
First Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Arona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
What’s New . . . . . . . . . . .20 Festivals & Events . . . . . . . 65 Borromean Islands . . . . . . 93
If You Like . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Eating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Verbania . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Month by Month . . . . . . . 23 Drinking & Nightlife . . . . . . 76 Cannobio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Road Trip:
Accommodation . . . . . . . 32 Lakes & Mountains . . . .98
Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Getting Around . . . . . . . . 34 Lake Maggiore
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Eat & Drink Like a Local . . .37 East Bank . . . . . . . . . . . .100
Day Trips from Milan . . . . . 82
Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Laveno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Getting There & Away . . . . 84
Travel with Children . . . . 46 Casalzuigno . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . 85
Regions at a Glance . . . . 49 Santa Caterina
del Sasso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Ranco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Angera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
SUSAN WRIGHT / LONELY PLANET © JUSTIN FOULKES / LONELY PLANET © VVSdCCaeaaaarlnrss eeMtttseiasgeol eslM .ni eo .Rta pne .e r .r . eig .ia . o .iO .o . .ln .o . . . n . . .a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111100003663
& Torba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Lake Orta . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Orta San Giulio . . . . . . . . . 108
PANETTONE, PASTICCERIA VARENNA P139 Locarno
MARCHESI, MILAN P71 (Switzerland) . . . . . . . . . 111
Ascona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
MARINADA / SHUTTERSTOCK © ARGALIS / GETTY IMAGES © &CTBTLoreoA irAlamnlKanRoogEgO . io o . .CUl . . . oO . . .N L . . .MD . .a . . . .r .O . .i . .a . . . . n . . . . . .o . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111111222165857
Lake Como
West Bank . . . . . . . . . . .128
Cernobbio . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Moltrasio & Laglio . . . . . . 129
PALAZZO BORROMEO, CAPPELLA COLLEONI,
ISOLA BELLA P93 BERGAMO P155
Contents
UNDERSTAND
Road Trip: Val Cavallina . . . . . . . . . . . 162 The Italian Lakes
High into the Hills . . . .130 Lake Iseo & Around . . .163 Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212
Argegno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Monte Isola . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Ossuccio & Iseo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Isola Comacina . . . . . . . . . 132 The Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Lovere & Bossico . . . . . . . 165
Lenno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 Villas & Gardens . . . . . . 233
Valle Camonica . . . . . . . . . 165
Tremezzo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Franciacorta . . . . . . . . . . . 166 The Lakes Kitchen . . . .239
Menaggio
& Val Menaggio . . . . . . . . . 137 Brescia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 On the Wine Trail . . . . .246
Rezzonico . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Cremona . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Fashion & Design . . . . .248
Gravedona, Lodi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Peglio & Domaso . . . . . . . 138
Lake Como LAKE GARDA &
SURVIVAL
East Bank . . . . . . . . . . . .138 AROUND . . . . . . . . . . 176
GUIDE
Correno Plinio . . . . . . . . . . 138 Lake Garda South Bank . .177
Varenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 Sirmione . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Valtellina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Lake Garda West Bank . . 181 Directory A–Z . . . . . . . .254
Lake Lugano . . . . . . . . . .141 Valtenesi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Lugano Lake Garda North Bank . .187
(Switzerland) . . . . . . . . . . 142 Language . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Riva del Garda . . . . . . . . . 187
Bellinzona . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Lake Garda East Bank . .190
Malcesine . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190 Map Legend . . . . . . . . . . 279
BERGAMO, BRESCIA
Bardolino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
& CREMONA . . . . . . 150
Verona . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195
Bergamo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Verona’s
Road Trip: Wine Country . . . . . . . .200
Castle Circuit . . . . . . . .158 Valpolicella . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Bergamo’s Valleys . . . . .161
Road Trip:
Valle Brembana . . . . . . . . 161 Valpolicella Wine Tour . .202
San Pellegrino Terme . . . 161 Soave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Valle Seriana . . . . . . . . . . . 162 Mantua . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
SPECIAL FEATURES
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©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
4
Welcome to the
Italian Lakes
Formed at the end of the last ice age,
and a popular holiday spot since
Roman times, the Italian Lakes have an
enduring, beguiling beauty.
Artful Landscapes Living by Design
Travellers traversing the Alps wind down Though Italian design is distributed glob-
from snowcapped mountains to be greeted ally, seeing it in its home context offers
by a Mediterranean burst of colour: gardens a fresh appreciation. From Como’s silk
filled with rose-red camellias, hot-pink weavers to Brianza’s furniture makers and
oleanders, lemon trees and palms surround- the violin artisans of Cremona, this region
ing cerulean blue lakes. It’s impossible not has an outstanding craft heritage. Today
to be seduced. Fishing boats bob in tiny Milan is home to all the major design show-
harbours, palaces float in the Borromean rooms and an endless round of trade fairs.
Gulf and grand belle époque hotels line the But it’s not just insiders who have all the
waterfronts in towns such as Stresa, Como, fun. Northern Italian design houses have
Bellagio and Salò. No wonder European branched out into spas, bars, galleries and
aristocrats, Arab princes and Hollywood restaurants. So why not join them for a
celebrities choose to call this home. touch of la vita moda (the stylish life).
A Modern Legacy The Lake Lifestyle
Since Leonardo da Vinci broke all the rules Home to many of Italy’s foremost musi-
in his stunning Last Supper, the indefati- cal talents, writers and artists, Milan and
gably inventive Lombards seem to have Verona are on the tour circuit of the best
skipped straight from the Renaissance to international music acts, dance troupes,
the 21st century. Not only is Milan a treas- opera and theatre. In summer, film, music
ure trove of modern and contemporary art, and art festivals abound in city theatres,
but art deco and rationalist architecture lakeside gardens and historic villas, while
abound. Around the lakes, Michelin-starred at weekends, urbanites escape to the moun-
restaurants push the boundaries of tradi- tains and lakes for morning markets, sail-
tionalism, and vintners, oil producers and ing, hiking and long afternoon lunches. The
textile houses experiment with sustainable key to it all is an unswerving dedication to
technologies and techniques. Even now, life’s fine print.
jackhammers are hard at work on Milan’s
futuristic new skyline modelled by star
architects Zaha Hadid, Daniel Libeskind,
Arata Isozaki and César Pelli.
5
PHOTOINNOVATION / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Why I Love the Italian Lakes
By Paula Hardy, Writer
From cutting-edge textiles to high-tech olive presses and a sidewalk scene that makes Fash-
ion Week seem entirely redundant, Milan and the lakes are both thrilling and fun. Everyone
here is fizzing with ideas, ambition and energy, and it’s catching. Unlike nonna’s Italy further
south, Lombards, like New Yorkers, are refreshing modernists and natural entrepreneurs.
A surprising number of people here care deeply about marrying the region’s craft heritage
with modern, sustainable technology. As such, they’re pioneering an exciting and beautiful
vision of the future that inspires me.
For more about our writers, see p280
Above: Terrace dining in Varenna (p139), overlooking Lake Como
Italian Lakes
#\
Locarno
Sip coffee on the lake’s
prettiest promenade (p111)
Bellinzona
Ramble around Unesco World
ValBedVraelttSoambauraco Heritage castles (p147)
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villas and gardens (p116)
#]Rho Treviglio#\
Milan
^#NovaraTicin #\Magenta ^# #–LAiinrpaotert
o
#]Vigevano #]
ROAD DISTANCES (km) Lodi
Note: Distances
Brescia 59 are approximate
Como 55 110 ^#Pavia
Cremona 98 55 155
Mantua 140 95 225 67
Milan 52 99 52 101 186
Verona 118 73 204 113 45 166
Milan
Bergamo Brescia Como Cremona Mantua Milan Gatheirn sapritrisattiico nan (dp 5c2r)eative
e# 0 50km
0 25miles
Bressanone#]
ELEVATION
2500m
2000m
1500m
1000m
500m
Franciacorta 200m
Track down
100m
Italy’s finest fizz (p166) 0
monia ChaLsea kweh Gitea-rcdapaped
a
C waves on a windsurf (p176)
Sondrio^# Val
Parco
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#÷Parco nci
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eMezzo
^#Cremona viR ^#Mantua
Oglio
Cremona
Indulge in Cremonese cooking Mantua
and classical music (p170) Marvel at Mantegna’s
frescoes (p205)
Bergamo
Admire medieval
masterpieces (p151)
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
8
The Italian Lakes’
Top 14
