Why we feel in love with the lakes of Italy
When choosing my latest holiday destination I was looking for something a little different. Like a bolt of inspiration it came to me; the lakes of Italy! Well if it's good enough for George Clooney to live there, then it's good enough for me! Before I continue I do want to make clear that I did not go looking for George whilst on holiday, as I'm sure that my husband wouldn't have been very impressed, anyway I had read in one of my magazines that he was away filming on location!
As with most people these days we choose to book the holiday ourselves on line and not go with a package deal. We found some reasonably priced flights, choose our accommodation and booked our Italy hire car.
With just a week to enjoy we decided to split the holiday, stopping at Lake Como and Lake Maggiore. We had done our research and these two lakes seemed great for tourists. We flew into Milan airport and collected our car hire straight from the flight. Heading out of the airport was a little daunting, however once we got to grips with the sat nav system in the car we could really enjoy travelling along the gorgeous Italian roads. When you reach the lake the scenery that surrounds it is simply stunning! Our first stop was in the town; Bellagio. Along the lake front it has a glamorous, chic edge. Then away from the lake youcan walk through the cobbled streets where you will find amazing shops.
Our journey then took us to Como. It's a lively place, full of tourists snapping away at the beautiful buildings. The cathedral is one of the city's main sights, but I recommend going there very early on in the day as it was very busy when we arrived around 1pm in the
afternoon. If you can a walk up to Punta Geno you will get the most amazing views of the city landscape and the lake. On route to Lake Maggiore we called in at Varese to visit the Sacred Mountains of Piedmont and Lombardy. It's a group of 9 chapels that have been around since late 1600's, now listed on the UNESCO. It's a beautiful spot and not over-run with tourists!
Driving through the area is a delightful experience just in itself! Everywhere you look you are surrounded by the contrast of the vivid green countryside and the crystal blue lake water. Upon arriving at Lake Maggiore we called into a wine cellar shop in Gattinara, it's a perfect place to grab a few bottles of the scrumptious Italian red wine. I had to be very strict with myself and limit the amount we bought; one can get rather carried away in a wine shop!
Our last couple of days by the lake were fantastic. We went on a boat trip that took us around the lake, did a little swimming and ate allot of the lovely local cuisine. It was a great end to our Italian holiday! The drive back to the airport was a quick one; we managed to escape the traffic by booking a late flight home, so the roads seemed quieter. After returning our car hire in Milan Airport, we were back sat on the plane and heading for home.
We shall definitely return to Northern Italy again, and next time we will be staying longer as there is so much to explore.
As with most people these days we choose to book the holiday ourselves on line and not go with a package deal. We found some reasonably priced flights, choose our accommodation and booked our Italy hire car.
With just a week to enjoy we decided to split the holiday, stopping at Lake Como and Lake Maggiore. We had done our research and these two lakes seemed great for tourists. We flew into Milan airport and collected our car hire straight from the flight. Heading out of the airport was a little daunting, however once we got to grips with the sat nav system in the car we could really enjoy travelling along the gorgeous Italian roads. When you reach the lake the scenery that surrounds it is simply stunning! Our first stop was in the town; Bellagio. Along the lake front it has a glamorous, chic edge. Then away from the lake youcan walk through the cobbled streets where you will find amazing shops.
Our journey then took us to Como. It's a lively place, full of tourists snapping away at the beautiful buildings. The cathedral is one of the city's main sights, but I recommend going there very early on in the day as it was very busy when we arrived around 1pm in the
afternoon. If you can a walk up to Punta Geno you will get the most amazing views of the city landscape and the lake. On route to Lake Maggiore we called in at Varese to visit the Sacred Mountains of Piedmont and Lombardy. It's a group of 9 chapels that have been around since late 1600's, now listed on the UNESCO. It's a beautiful spot and not over-run with tourists!
Driving through the area is a delightful experience just in itself! Everywhere you look you are surrounded by the contrast of the vivid green countryside and the crystal blue lake water. Upon arriving at Lake Maggiore we called into a wine cellar shop in Gattinara, it's a perfect place to grab a few bottles of the scrumptious Italian red wine. I had to be very strict with myself and limit the amount we bought; one can get rather carried away in a wine shop!
Our last couple of days by the lake were fantastic. We went on a boat trip that took us around the lake, did a little swimming and ate allot of the lovely local cuisine. It was a great end to our Italian holiday! The drive back to the airport was a quick one; we managed to escape the traffic by booking a late flight home, so the roads seemed quieter. After returning our car hire in Milan Airport, we were back sat on the plane and heading for home.
We shall definitely return to Northern Italy again, and next time we will be staying longer as there is so much to explore.
Source...