The Rough Guide to Italian Lakes, 2nd Edition (Rough Guide Travel Guides)

396 Pages·2009·15.06 MB·English

by  Rough Guides, Lucy Ratcliffe, Matthew Teller

“The best option for
practical information on
transport, restaurants
and villas.”
The Sunday Times
“Loaded with cultural
and historical details…”
Men's Journal
EXPLORE every corner of
the Italian Lakes, using the
clearest maps of any guide.
CHOOSE where to go and
what to see, inspired by
dozens of photos.
READ expert background on
everything from romantic
lakeside hideaways to
rugged Alpine treks.
RELY on our selection of the
best places to stay and eat,
for every budget. THE ROUGH GUIDE to
The
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TIME ON EARTH
OTHER ROUGH GUIDES INCLUDE: w.roughguides.com Italian Lakes
Includes Milan, Verona & Bergamo
ISBN 978-1-84836-038-9 USA $19.99
Can $22.00
UK £12.99
9 7 8 1 8 4 8 3 6 0 3 8 9
Published by Rough Guides
Distributed by The Penguin Group
Italian_Lakes_cover.indd 1 24/11/08 17:36:42
ROUGHGUIDES
The Italian Lakes
MAP
GUIDEBOOK
PHRASEBOOK
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About this book
Rough Guides are designed to be good to read and easy to use. The book is
divided into the following sections, and you should be able to fnd whatever you
need in one of them.
The introductory colour section is designed to give you a feel for the Italian Lakes,
Author Picks
suggesting when to go and what not to miss, and includes a full list of contents.
Then comes basics, for pre-departure information and other practicalities. Throughout this book, we’ve used the Rough
Guides icon to highlight establishments our
The guide chapters cover the Italian Lakes and cities such as Milan,
authors particularly recommend – a perfectly sited hotel,
Bergamo, Verona and Mantova in depth, each starting with a highlights
an atmospheric café, a special restaurant. Each has been
panel, introduction and a map to help you plan your route.
sent a “Recommended by Rough Guides” display sticker.
The contexts section flls you in on history and books, while individual The same icon is also used to fag up book recommenda-
colour sections introduce regional cuisine and the gardens of the lakes. tions in the Contexts section. Please send us your own
nominations, which our authors will be happy to check
The book concludes with all the small print, including details of how
out for future editions.
to send in updates and corrections, and a comprehensive index.
This second edition published April 2009.
Accommodation price codes
All the accommodation listed in this book has been
categorized according to the following price codes. For full
details, see p.35.
1 €50 (Fr.80) and under 6 €151–200 (Fr.241–320)
2 €51–75 (Fr.81–120) 7 €201–250 (Fr.321–400)
3 €76–100 (Fr.121–160) 8 €251–300 (Fr.401–485)
4 €101–125 (Fr.161–200) 9 €301 (Fr.486) and over
5 €126–150 (Fr.201–240)
Front cover: Lake Maggiore, Cannero Riviera, Piedmont © Ripani
The publishers and authors have done their best to ensure the accuracy
Massimo/4cornersimages
and currency of all the information in The Rough Guide to The Italian
Lakes, however, they can accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or Back cover: The harbour at Torri del Benaco, Lake Garda © Dave
inconvenience sustained by any traveller as a result of information or advice Pattison/Alamy
contained in the guide. Right: Boat, Isola San Giulio, Helena Smith © Rough Guides
Italian Lakes_2 Inside cover.ind1 1 11/27/08 4:12:20 PM
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US$19.99 CAN$22.00
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The Rough Guide to the
Italian Lakes
written and researched by
Matthew Teller and Lucy Ratcliffe
NEW YORK • LONDON • DELHI
www.roughguides.com
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Contents

Colour section 1 Contexts 339
Introduction .................................5 History .....................................41
Where to go .................................6 Books ......................................51
When to go ................................10
Things not to miss .....................1 Language 357

Basics 17 Pronunciation ..........................59
Italian words and phrases .......59
Getting there .............................19 Menu reader ............................62
Getting around ..........................25 Glossary of Italian words .........67
Accommodation ........................4 Glossary of artistic and
Eating and drinking ...................7 architectural terms ...............67
The media ..................................4
Festivals and special events ......45 Travel store 369
Sports and outdoor pursuits .....48
Travelling with children ..............50
Travel essentials ........................51 Small print & Index 371

Guide 61
1 Milan .....................................6 L
seackteio cnu fioslilnoew cinoglo pu.r1 12
2 Lake Maggiore and
Lake Orta ............................119
3 Lake Como and
Lake Lugano .......................172 Gardens of the lakes
4 Bergamo, Brescia and colour section
Cremona .............................22 following p.240
5 Lake Garda .........................259
6 Verona and Mantova ..........0

ff Lake Garda f Isola Bella, Lake Maggiore
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| CONTENTS |
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| INTRODUCTION | WHERE TO GO | WHEN TO GO

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Introduction to the
Italian Lakes
One can’t describe the beauty of the Italian lakes, nor would one try if one could.
Henry James
The Italian Lakes are a little slice of paradise. Generations
of travellers from the north, descending wearily from the
chilly Alpine passes, have come into this Mediterranean
vision of fgs and palms, bougainvillea and lemon blossom,
and, like Henry James, been lost for words. Elegant ribbons
of blue water stretch out ahead, folded into the sun-baked
foothills; after the rigours of the high Alps, the abundance
of fne food and wine must have been a revelation.
Warming, awe-inspiring and graced with natural beauty, the
lakes are still a place to draw breath and wonder.
These days, of course, mass tourism has found
the lakes, and the shoreside roads that link every
town can be as packed as the ferries that chug to
and fro. But the chief reason to visit the area – its
spectacular landscapes – remains compelling, and
there are plenty of ways to avoid the crowds.
The lakes – deep, slender fjords gouged by glaciers – are sublime. All are
oriented north-south, ringed by characterful old villages often wedged
onto narrow beaches between rugged clifs and the water. And those classic
lakes images of fower-bedecked balconies, Baroque gardens and splendid
waterside villas can be found here in abundance.
Long a stop on the Grand Tour, the lakes and their nearby cities hold some
of the grandest of Europe’s grand hotels, yet throughout the region there also
Two of the major Italian lakes – Maggiore and Lugano – straddle the Swiss
frontier, with shorelines in two countries. Although the title of this book is 5
The Rough Guide to the Italian Lakes, you’ll nonetheless fnd full coverage of
attractions and travel practicalities on both sides of the border.
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| INTRODUCTION | WHERE TO GO | WHEN TO GO
Fact file
• There are seven major lakes
occupying the southern foothills
of the Alps – from west to east:
Orta, Maggiore, Lugano, Como,
Iseo, Idro and Garda.
• The area takes in four
Italian administrative regions
– Piemonte, Lombardia
(Lombardy), Trentino and runs a vein of genial, low-key hospitality
Veneto – as well as part of the that has produced countless attractive
Swiss canton of Ticino. little family-run establishments ofering
• Lake Garda is the largest simpler, cosier comforts.
lake in Italy, at 52km long and Dotted around and between the
17km wide. Lake Maggiore is
the longest, at 66km. Lake lakes are some of Italy’s fnest art
Idro is the highest of Italy’s cities. Milan is pre-eminent, while
major lakes, at 68m above Verona, Bergamo, Mantova and others
sea level. display – in their architecture as well
• Milan is the nearest city to as their art – a civilized, urban vision
the lakes, with a population of that stands in marked contrast to the
1. million. Several large towns
fall within the Lakes area, wild, largely rural character of the
including Verona (260,000), lakeside hinterlands. Italy only became
Brescia (200,000), Bergamo a unifed state in 1861 and, as a result,
(120,000), Como and Varese people often feel more loyalty to
(both 80,000), and Pavia and their home town than to the nation
Cremona (both 70,000).
as a whole – a feeling manifest in
• This is a wealthy region, with the multitude of cuisines, dialects and
small, family-run companies
widespread. Light industry outlooks that span the region.
– including traditional manufac-
turing, such as silk-making
around Como and furniture-
making in the Brianza region
– contributes signifcantly to
Italy’s GDP. Where to go
• Italian is the offcial language
on both sides of the inter- ilan needs little introduction
national border here, but the – the undisputed “capital”
region has almost as many of the north, and richest
dialects as it has communities. Mcity of Italy’s richest region,
These have their roots in the
history of the region and often Lombardy. Its pilgrimage status is
include words drawn from past four-fold. Art – pay homage to
6 French, Austrian and Spanish Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic Last
occupiers. Supper. Architecture – explore the
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h Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan
| INTRODUCTION | WHERE TO GO | WHEN TO GO
spectacular Duomo inside and out. Music – sample opera at the world-
famous La Scala. Shopping – this is one of the world’s fashion capitals.
Stylish, sophisticated and good-looking, Milan embodies Italian chic.
The opulent Certosa di Pavia monastery, set amid the rice felds south
of the city, stands as a monument to Milan’s Renaissance rulers.
The lakes are ranged in formation north of Milan, interleaved between
the Prealpine foothills. The westernmost is Lake Orta, a pretty little wedge
of blue water that holds one of the loveliest of all the region’s medieval
villages – Orta San Giulio.
The longest of the lakes – Lake Maggiore – lies draped between high
ridges of green mountainside. The resorts of Stresa and Pallanza face
idyllic islets crowned with palaces and Baroque gardens. North are genteel
Cánnero and Cannóbio, while, across the
border, the Swiss neighbours of Locarno and Milan is the undisputed
Ascona are two of Maggiore’s most alluring “capital” of the north.
destinations.
Varese is the region’s most underrated city. Penetrate its industrial suburbs
and you fnd a core of cobbled piazzas and stylish boutiques, made unmiss-
able by the superb gallery of contemporary art at Villa Panza.
Nearby Lake Lugano lies mostly in Switzerland. Wilder than its
neighbours, with long stretches of forested shoreline that plunge directly
into the water, it ofers a sense of seclusion lacking elsewhere. Cosmo-
politan Lugano basks on a sunny, south-facing bay, cogwheel trains
climb the nearby peak of Monte Generoso, while further north rise the
fortifcations of Bellinzona.
7
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| INTRODUCTION | WHERE TO GO | WHEN TO GO
g Riva del Garda, Lake Garda
The forked Lake Como is one of the best-known holiday destinations
in Italy, ofering, in waterfront villages such as Bellagio and Varenna,
the classic images of the lakes. Como itself is a dignifed old silk town
with a magnifcent cathedral, while behind Menaggio coil scenic
mountain footpaths.
The hill-town of Bergamo rises from the plain northeast of Milan. Its
Gothic-medieval upper town, characterized by cobbled alleys winding
between high-fronted palazzi, is a foodie’s delight, packed with fne restau-
rants, while the Accademia Carrara is Lombardy’s most prestigious
gallery outside Milan.
A little east is Brescia, a hard-working, business-minded city which boasts
fne Roman ruins as well as, nearby, the squiggle of Lake Iseo. To the south
stands the old violin-making town of Cremona.
Marking the eastern limit of Lombardy is Italy’s largest and most famous
lake: Lake Garda. The southern shores are fat or gently rolling; highlights
here include busy Sirmione, on its long peninsula.
To the east, a string of old Venetian ports
The lakes – deep, slender includes gentle Garda and little-visited
fjords gouged by glaciers Torri del Benaco. The western shore
– are sublime. has more classic lake imagery – exotic
fower gardens, palm-shaded promenades
8 and fne Art Nouveau villas crowding the waterfront around Salò and
Gardone Riviera.
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h Rocca Scaligera, Sirmione, Lake Garda
| INTRODUCTION | WHERE TO GO | WHEN TO GO