Italian Lakes Essential: Elegance, palaces and lush gardens

Lake Maggiore stretches between Piedmont, Lombardy and Switzerland, framed by pre-Alps and lush gardens that make it a classic and elegant holiday destination. Its jewels are the Borromean Islands off Stresa: Isola Bella with its sumptuous baroque palace and Italian gardens, Isola Madre with its botanical park, and Isola dei Pescatori with its fishing village. Along the shores, Stresa, Verbania and Cannobio offer flowered promenades, historic villas and cable cars to panoramic peaks such as Mottarone. The gardens of Villa Taranto guard thousands of botanical species, while boats connect the banks with scenic routes. The cuisine offers lake fish and Piedmontese specialities. Serene and refined, Lake Maggiore enchants with its gardens and tranquil waters.

Lake Como traces its unmistakable inverted-Y shape between steep mountains and aristocratic villas, one of the most scenic of the Lombard pre-Alpine lakes. Its shores are dotted with elegant villages such as Bellagio, known as the pearl of the lake, Varenna with its lanes over the water, and Menaggio facing the western bank. Historic villas and lush gardens — Villa Carlotta, Villa del Balbianello, Villa Melzi — testify to centuries of aristocratic leisure. The town of Como, with its cathedral and lakefront, is an ideal starting point for boat excursions between villages. The surrounding mountains offer panoramic trails and cable cars, while restaurants serve lake fish and Lombard specialities. Romantic and refined, Lake Como enchants with its blend of grand nature and timeless elegance.

Lake Garda, Italy's largest, stretches across three regions, offering a surprising mosaic of landscapes, from the Mediterranean shores of the south to the rocky walls of the north. Its banks are rich in charming villages: Sirmione with its Scaliger castle and the Grotte di Catullo, Malcesine dominated by its fortress, Bardolino and Lazise amid vineyards and olive groves. The mild climate favours lemons and olives, while the steady wind makes the upper lake a paradise for windsurfing and sailing. Along the shores, beaches alternate with lively promenades and theme parks such as Gardaland, while the hinterland offers wineries and oil mills to visit. Boats connect the main centres, granting ever-new perspectives. Versatile and bright, Lake Garda satisfies those seeking relaxation, sport or discovery between water and hills.