The Italian Lakes has been a popular holiday destination since the days of the grand tours of the upper classes. Today, the rich and famous still buy holiday homes on the lake shores. Milan Malpensa Airport is only about one hours drive away. There are both schedule and budget carrier flights on offer making the Italian Lakes very accessible.

The main tourist lakes are Garda, Maggiore and Como. They are situated in the alpine north of the country bordering Switzerland. Surrounding the lakes are idyllic towns with their attractive villas with cobbled squares and streets. Tourist hot spots include Bellagio and Como on Lake Como, Stresa and the various towns in the region of Verbania on Lake Maggiore.

Hotels and Travel

There are some grand hotels with rooms overlooking the lakes, not surprisingly they are not cheap. There are also more business type hotels in the larger towns as well as small more reasonable private hotels. Roads around the lakes can be busy and narrow, an attractive option can be to use the many boat services to get around the lakes. Several operators offer inclusive tours.

Gardens

Over the centuries the rich and famous have been attracted to the Italian Lakes and built luxury villas surrounded by stunning gardens. The grand Italian gardens combine fantastic architecture with plants on a grand scale. Although many are still in private hands, many are open to visitors.

For more information on gardens to visit, see our dedicated guide
Gardeners Club Italian Gardens