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HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHTS
Stunning scenery > Boat trips on the lakes > Excellent Italian cuisine

From Pliny the Younger to Tennyson and Shelley, the beauty of the ‘lake district’ of northern Italy has drawn people for centuries, and since George Clooney took up residence on Lake Como a few years ago, the region is once again fashionable.

An Italian lakes holiday makes a refreshing and easily accessible short-haul alternative to the Mediterranean. Como and Lake Maggiore are the two main lakes, with the smaller Lake Lugano in between lying mainly in Switzerland. Glacial in origin, the long, narrow lakes are surrounded by dramatic scenery of hills and mountains, and their shores are dotted with picturesque villages and historic villas that are regularly used as film locations, most recently for Casino Royale.

Some of these lakeside villas have long since been transformed into luxurious hotels. On the western shores of Lake Como, the most famous of the lakes, is the renowned Villa d’Este, which dates back to the sixteenth century. Slightly further up the lake is the Grand Hotel Tremezzo Palace, which was purpose-built as a hotel in the early twentieth century but has a similar character. Both properties are set in large private parks, with the Tremezzo bordering on the botanical gardens of the famous Villa Carlotta.

Moving on to Lake Maggiore, just outside the attractive town of Stresa is the beautifully restored Villa Aminta, which has a wonderful location overlooking the Borromeo Islands. All three of these properties combine the style of a bygone era with excellent restaurants and up-to-date facilities, including floating swimming pools on the lake at the Villa d’Este and the Tremezzo Palace.

Holidays to the Italian lakes offer peaceful relaxation in beautiful surroundings, as well as a wide range of activities, from water-skiing, sailing, windsurfing and tennis to long lakeside walks or bicycle rides. There are also several good golf courses in the vicinity, and the hotels all have private docks from where you can catch a boat to explore the lakes. Two excursions not to be missed are to the charming town of Bellagio, set at the tip of a headland where the two arms of the Y-shaped Lake Como divide, and a tour of the Borromeo Islands of Lake Maggiore.