The Italian Lakes trip planner

A vacation guide to the lakes of Northern Italy—Lake Como, Lake Garda, Lake Maggiore, Lake Iseo, Lake Orta, Lake Idro, Lake Lugano, and the Varesesotto

Italian Lakes - Lago di Como
Lake Como, Queen of the Italian lake district. (Photo by Marcus90)

The long, shimmering tendrils of the Italian Lakes are snuggled into the deep-cleft valleys of the foothills where the broad, fertile, and industrious plains of the Po River Valley wash up against the mighty, craggy peaks of the Alps and the Dolomites.

These lakeshores are strung with fishing villages, medieval castles, lavish Renaissance palazzi and Neoclassical villas, ancient ruins, and sumptuous gardens spilling right down the water's edge.

In a single day, you can windsurf past Europe's northernmost lemon groves, stroll through a park of prehistoric rock carvings, tour the castle where Goethe was arrested on suspicion of being a Austrian spy, then retire to your room in the 19th-century villa where Mussolini spent his final days hiding out with his mistress—and that's all just on Lake Garda.

It's not hard to see how this region has inspired everyone from Catullus to Ernest Hemingway to George Lucas.

The lake district stretches across four Italian regions and 10,000 years of human history—from the prehistoric rock carvings near Lake Iseo, to the Roman ruins on the Sirmione peninsula guarded by a moated medieval castle, to Romanesque churches and cliff-side convents slathered in frescoes and sculptures, to the museum-homes of such luminaries as 19th century poet-adventurer Gabriele d'Annunzio.

The major lakes

Lago di MaggioreOn Lake Maggiore, the princely Borromeo family allows visitors to wander its lakeshore castles, island palaces, and gardens strutting with peacocks... Full story

Lago di ComoLake Como is famed for its precious silks from the ancient captial town of Como, lavish villas with sumptuous gardens such as Villa Balbianello and Villa Carlotta, and spectacular panoramas from fabled villages like Bellagio and Varenna... Full story

Lago di GardaLake Garda stretches from fishing villages–turned-resorts on its southern end to the northern end where a clutch of solidly Teutonic northern towns of beer and sausages and crumbling castles overlook one of the best windsurfing spots in Europe... Full story

The middlin' lakes

Overlooked my most visitors, but just as spectacular in their own ways (and far less blighted by tourist crowds) are the smaller Italian lakes, of which two really stand out:

Lago d'IseoLake Iseo has some first-class art in a small town setting, a lovely forested island for getting away from it all, and a series of amazing prehistoric rock carvings hidden in the valley to its north... Full story

Lago di OrtaTiny Lake Orta is steeped in miraculous legends and sacred spots and, as home to such firms as Alessi and Lagostina, is also the unlikely epicenter of Italy's designer housewares industry... Full story

The minor Italian lakes

Then there are the minor Italian lakes. Some of these I consider "minor" because of their size (little Lake Idro), or because there is little to do or see there (Lake Varese, and large Lake Lugano, most of which lies in Switzlerland).

Still, less popular also often translates into less crowded (and less expensive), so if you're looking for an escape, they might be just the right ticket.

Lago di VareseLake Varese is actually a quartet of little lakes, collectively known as the Varesotto, popular among 18th century Lombard landscape painters for its bucolic settings, quiet hamlets, simple Romanesque churches, mirror-like waters, and Alpine backdrops... Full story

Lago d'IrdoLake Idro is perhaps the downright prettiest of the minor Italian lakes, a mere slip of a pond—not quite six miles long and just over a mile wide, nestled into into the Valle Sabbia—just west of Lake Garda... Full story

Lago di LuganoSinuous Lake Lugano, which snakes back and forth across the Italy/Switzerland border is actually quite large, but rather less interesting than the major lakes listed above... Full story

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This material was last updated January 2011. All information was accurate at the time.

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