Italian Lakes Things To Do

Hop on and off lake ferries to visit 17th- and 18th-century villas and secluded gardens. Make it easy and informative by booking a guide to accompany you on the ferry, which leaves from Como town.

These three islands off the resort town of Stresa are Lake Maggiore’s most visited attractions. Isola Madre is the Borrommeo family home. Charles Dickens dubbed the Baroque splendor of Isola Bella “fanciful and fantastic.” And the tiny Isola dei Pescatori is almost perfectly picturesque. Use the public ferries from Stresa or the more costly taxi boats.

Get away from the crowds and spend a morning ambling through this exquisite, traffic-free town on Lake Orta. After a leisurely lunch, rent a boat (numerous rental boats are available on the lakeside) and row for 30 minutes  over to Isola San Giulio to tour the island’s 10th-century basilica.

If you’re priced out of staying at this tiny and very exclusive 16th-century villa, you should at least experience lunch at their lakeside Taverna, enjoy an almost complete view of the lake, swim in the Bay of Sirens, or snooze under ancient olive trees.

Lake Garda’s spa town boasts an almost perfectly preserved 13th-century castle and some of the most impressive Roman ruins in northern Italy, the Grotto di Cattulo. For a day of spa treatments, head to the Aquaria at the Centro Benessere Termale.

20 miles west of Lake Iseo, Bergamo is one of the most striking Medieval and Renaissance towns in Lombardy. The upper half of the city (Bergamo Alta) is where architectural gems like the 15th century Piazza Vecchia and the 12th century Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore are found.

Located on the shores of Lake Garda, Italy’s premier theme park has nearly 40 attractions, including five rollercoasters – the inverted Blue Thunder draws millions of thrill seekers annually.

For 600 years Como was the principal production center for silk in Italy, and you can still buy quality silk clothing and accessories made here – and at good prices.

This tiny train creaks and weaves its way along a single-track through the lush, unspoiled so-called Centovalli (the “Hundred Valleys” from Locarno to Domodossola). Take some refreshments – the slow, scenic trip takes around 2 hours – and go early to avoid the summer crush.

Take windsurfing lessons at Torbole on Lake Garda, a mecca for board lovers across Europe. If you don’t surf, it’s still a fun and youthful place to hang out after sunset. Try Conca Windsurf for lessons and board rental.