Italy's Lake Region
By: Jennifer Milano, written August 2015
The north of Italy has four major lakes - Lake Como, Lake Garda, Lake Lugano and Lake Maggiore. With the exception of a day in beautiful Lugano on my way from Italy to Switzerland many years ago, I have spent time on only two of the lakes, and both were beautiful!
Lake Garda
Riva del Garda, where the Alps meet the lake
The first time I visited an Italian lake was during a study abroad program in Florence. One of the program's leaders, Riccardo, had grown up spending summers at Lake Garda. One Friday afternoon when classes had ended for the week, Riccardo enthusiastically led about twenty of us on a train, followed by a bus, to the lake's northernmost town, Riva del Garda. We arrived in this beautiful small town feeling like we had left the Italy we knew. The other travelers were tall and blond. We heard more German than Italian being spoken. The aqua Mediterranean sea was replaced with a deep blue mountain lake. But the most stunning site was Riva itself. The magestic Alps plunge into the northern tip of Italy's largest lake, and Riva just sits quietly below these mountains, along the lake's edge, offering a sandy beach, outdoor cafes and a summer vacation atmosphere. Riva was such a special place, that I returned there the following summer with my mother, who also fell in love with the town's beauty and its relaxed ambience.
If you have kids and find yourself traveling to Lake Garda, you may also want to check out Sirmione, a historic town on a peninsula off the southern shore of the lake with a pedestrian center and a 13th century fairytale castle. Nearby is Gardaland, an amusement park, for the kids. For the adults, Sirmione has hot springs and is an easy day trip to or from Verona (about 40 minutes). For a less touristy alternative to Sirmione, Malcesine is supposed to be a lovely town that also sports a castle and a cable car up to the top of Monte Baldo.
Getting here: The main train stations at Lake Garda are at Peschiera and Desenzano del Garda for the southern part of the lake, and Rovereto for the north. From these stations, you need to take a bus or ferry to your destination. Or, you can take a bus straight from Verona to Peschiera (20 mintues), Sirmione (40 minutes), or Riva del Garda (1.5 hours). If you are driving, from Milan to Riva del Garda takes approximately 2 1/2 hours, and from Milan to Sirmione takes about 2 hours. From Venice, Riva del Garda is about a 2-3 hour drive, and Sirmione is about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Lake Como
Varenna, Lake Como
Wandering Varenna's tiny, picturesque streets
Lake Como is Italy's most well-known lake, both for its accessibility from Milan and the posh resort town of Bellagio. When I visited Lake Como, I took a ferry from popular Bellagio just fifteen minutes across the lake to the quiet, authentic town of Varenna. I stayed at a lovely little hotel called Albergo Milano, taking a room with a large terrace facing the lake. I ate a delicious dinner at a tiny little restaurant recommended by Albergo Milano, and I wish I had written down the name. There were only five tables in its cozy interior. You could ask the proprietors of Albergo Milano, or try Il Cavatappi or Borgovino, both tiny and highly recommended (and I'm betting my amazing meal was at one of those two restaurants). I wandered the town's picturesque lanes, and ate gelato on the waterfront by the little stone beach. While I could easily hop on a ferry to explore bustling Bellagio, tour a lakeside villa, or spend an afternoon at a lakefront pool club, I was happiest on the ferry ride back to sweet little Varenna. A friend of mine recently joined her husband on his business trip to Bellagio (nice, right?). Although she stayed in Bellagio, she took the ferry to Varenna three times, she loved the town so much. She said if she returns to Lake Como, she will be staying in Varenna!
Getting here: Lake Como doesn't have the majestic mountains that Lake Garda boasts, but it is certainly more accessible from Milan and its international airport. By car, Varenna is about an hour and a half from Milan. By train, the two lie an hour apart.