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The Italian Lakes Paula Hardy, Marc Di Duca, Regis St Louis # ^ Lake Garda & Around p176 Bergamo, Brescia & Cremona p150 Lake Maggiore & Around p86 Milan p52 Lake Como & Around p116 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

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Page 1: The Italian Lakes - Lonely Planetmedia.lonelyplanet.com/shop/pdfs/the-italian-lakes-3-contents.pdf · The Italian Lakes Paula Hardy, Marc Di Duca, Regis St Louis #^ Lake Garda & Around

The Italian Lakes

Paula Hardy, Marc Di Duca, Regis St Louis

#̂Lake Garda& Around

p176

Bergamo, Brescia& Cremona

p150

Lake Maggiore& Around

p86

Milanp52

Lake Como& Around

p116

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Page 2: The Italian Lakes - Lonely Planetmedia.lonelyplanet.com/shop/pdfs/the-italian-lakes-3-contents.pdf · The Italian Lakes Paula Hardy, Marc Di Duca, Regis St Louis #^ Lake Garda & Around

Welcome to the Italian Lakes . . . . . . . . 4The Italian Lakes Map . . . 6The Italian Lakes’ Top 14 . . 8Need to Know . . . . . . . . . 16First Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18What’s New . . . . . . . . . . .20If You Like . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Month by Month . . . . . . . 23Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Accommodation . . . . . . . 32Getting Around . . . . . . . .34Eat & Drink Like a Local . . .37Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . .42Travel with Children . . . .46Regions at a Glance . . . .49

MILAN . . . . . . . . . . . . 52Neighbourhoods at a Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54Sights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65Festivals & Events . . . . . . . 65Eating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69Drinking & Nightlife . . . . . . 76Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . 78Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81Day Trips from Milan . . . . . 82Getting There & Away . . . . 84Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . 85

LAKE MAGGIORE & AROUND . . . . . . . . . 86Lake Maggiore West Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . 87Stresa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87Arona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92Borromean Islands . . . . . . 93Verbania . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95Cannobio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97Road Trip: Lakes & Mountains . . . . 98Lake Maggiore East Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . 100Laveno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101Casalzuigno . . . . . . . . . . . . 101Santa Caterina del Sasso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102Ranco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102Angera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102Varese Region . . . . . . . . 103Varese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103Santa Maria del Monte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106Castiglione Olona . . . . . . . 106Castelseprio & Torba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107Lake Orta . . . . . . . . . . . . 107Orta San Giulio . . . . . . . . . 108Locarno (Switzerland) . . . . . . . . . 111Ascona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

LAKE COMO & AROUND . . . . . . . . .116Como . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117Triangolo Lariano . . . . . 125Bellagio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125Torno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128Lake Como West Bank . . . . . . . . . . . 128Cernobbio . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128Moltrasio & Laglio . . . . . . 129

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Contents

Road Trip: High into the Hills . . . . 130Argegno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132Ossuccio & Isola Comacina . . . . . . . . . 132Lenno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133Tremezzo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136Menaggio & Val Menaggio . . . . . . . . . 137Rezzonico . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137Gravedona, Peglio & Domaso . . . . . . . 138Lake Como East Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . 138Correno Plinio . . . . . . . . . . 138Varenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139Valtellina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141Lake Lugano . . . . . . . . . .141Lugano (Switzerland) . . . . . . . . . . 142Bellinzona . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

BERGAMO, BRESCIA & CREMONA . . . . . . 150Bergamo . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151Road Trip: Castle Circuit . . . . . . . . 158Bergamo’s Valleys . . . . .161Valle Brembana . . . . . . . . 161San Pellegrino Terme . . . 161Valle Seriana . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Val Cavallina . . . . . . . . . . . 162Lake Iseo & Around . . . 163Monte Isola . . . . . . . . . . . . 163Iseo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164Lovere & Bossico . . . . . . . 165Valle Camonica . . . . . . . . . 165Franciacorta . . . . . . . . . . . 166Brescia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167Cremona . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170Lodi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

LAKE GARDA & AROUND . . . . . . . . . .176Lake Garda South Bank . . 177Sirmione . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177Lake Garda West Bank . . 181Valtenesi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181Lake Garda North Bank . .187Riva del Garda . . . . . . . . . 187Lake Garda East Bank . . 190Malcesine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190Bardolino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193Verona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195Verona’s Wine Country . . . . . . . . 200Valpolicella . . . . . . . . . . . .200Road Trip: Valpolicella Wine Tour . . 202Soave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204Mantua . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

The Italian Lakes Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212

History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214

The Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

Villas & Gardens . . . . . . 233

The Lakes Kitchen . . . . 239

On the Wine Trail . . . . . 246

Fashion & Design . . . . . 248

Directory A–Z . . . . . . . . 254

Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . 260

Language . . . . . . . . . . . . 266

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273Map Legend . . . . . . . . . . 279

SURVIVAL GUIDE

SPECIAL FEATURES

Road Trip: Lakes & Mountains . . . . 98Road Trip: High into the Hills . . . . 130Road Trip: Castle Circuit . . . . . . . . .158

Road Trip: Valpolicella Wine Tour . . 202

The Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

Villas & Gardens . . . . . . 233

The Lakes Kitchen . . . . 239

On the Wine Trail . . . . . 246

Fashion & Design . . . . . 248

Oltrepò PaveseRiots broke out in the Middle Ages when Milan was cut off from Oltrepò, Lombardy’s most renowned wine region (www.vinoltrepo.org). No fewer than 20 wines are classified as DOC in this area, and the Oltrepò Pavese spumante is a DOCG. Keep an eye out for reds like the Oltrepò Pavese Barbera and the Bonarda, among the stars of the area’s DOC wines made from the local croatina grape. A curious sweet dessert red is the Sangue di Giuda (Judas’ Blood).

Riviera del Garda & BardolinoAlong the western shore of Lake Garda, vineyards blanket the Valtenesi area all the way up to Lake Idro. Look for Garda DOC or Garda Clas-sico DOC (www.stradadeivini.it). The reds predominantly use the local gropello grape.

On the southeastern shore, one of the Veneto’s best-known reds is cultivated around the town of Bardolino. Of its namesake reds, the Bardolino Superiore DOCG is a delicate, dry drop that pairs well with meat and game. If you’re looking for a fine white, try Lugana DOC (www. consorziolugana.it).

SoaveWest of Verona, the town of Soave (www.ilsoave.com) rests next to a cas-tle-topped hill whose slopes are dense with vineyards. Some of Italy’s finest white wines come from here. The local garganega grape dominates the area’s two white DOCGs, Recioto di Soave and Soave Superiore.

ValcalepioThe Valcalepio (www.valcalepio.org) wine region between Bergamo and Lake Iseo is just beginning to make a name for itself. Established as a DOC in 1976, small local holdings have since been continually refining their two main DOC products: a red that blends merlot and cabernet sauvignon (and which also comes in an aged riserva version) and whites that combine pinot bianco and pinot grigio varieties. You will also come across a sweet dessert passito using moscato grapes, which is perfect as an accompaniment for pastries and dessert.

ValpolicellaLed by the outstanding Amarone della Valpolicella DOC (using dried corvina, rondinella and molinara grapes), this region, which stretches north–northwest up the valleys parallel to Lake Garda from Verona, is one of the best-known names in northern Italian wine. While many Valpolicella (www.consorziovalpolicella.it) reds are light, pleasant table wines, the flagship Amarone (literally ‘big sour one’) is big, bold and dry. It is accompanied by another signature red, also made with dried grapes, the somewhat sweeter Recioto.

ValtellinaLike a well-behaved Milanese dinner companion, the Valtellina (www.vinidivaltellina.it) red is distinctive and rich without being too for-ward – Leonardo da Vinci loved the stuff. The area boasts two DOCG classifications, a general one (Valtellina Superiore DOCG) and one ap-plied to a particular style of wine, the Sforzato (or Sfursat) di Valtellina DOCG. The nebbiolo grape (locally known as chiavennasca) is the most important.

Franciacorta DOCG spumante (sparkling) whites and rosés lead the way in Franci-acorta (www.franciacorta.net), an area stretching between Brescia and Lake Iseo. Look out also for Satèn, a blanc de blanc almost exclusive-ly made of chardonnay grapes. The Curtefranca DOC covers a series of whites and reds, the latter dominated by cabernet franc and the local carmenere grape varieties.

Alongside France, Italy is the largest

wine producer in the world,

processing 45 to 50 million

hectolitres per year, around 20%

of the world’s combined total.

Of this, 1.3 million hectolitres come from Lombardy.

Compared with the 30,000-

hectare French wine region of Champagne, Italy’s finest

sparkling wine re-gion, Franciacorta covers just 2200

hectares. That said, it is quickly becoming one of the fastest-grow-ing wine regions

in Europe. In the early 1990s,

there were just 15 producers. Now there are over

100.

On the Wine Trail

Above Oltrepò Pavese vineyards (p83)

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The region around the northern Italian lakes has been producing wine since Roman times and today produces an enormous variety, from fizzy red lambruscos to bombastic Sforzato and chilly, mineral-rich whites. The tradition of selling many of these modestly priced wines in local osterie (taverns), cantine (cellars) and enoteche (wine bars) has led to the impression that they are of lesser quality than wines from other areas, but the region claims five DOCG, 19 DOC and 15 IGT wines.

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Itineraries

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Milan

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Squeeze the most out of a seven-day itinerary with this city-and-lake combo, which com-bines Milan’s best highlights with some chic lakeside living in Stresa, Como and Bellagio.

Modernist Milan gets this whirlwind tour off to a spectacular start with big-city treats like Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, Michelin-starred dining at Seta and world-class art in the Pinacoteca di Brera. Give yourself at least two days to eat, shop and sight-see, and take in an opera at La Scala. Then head for belle époque Stresa and ferry-hop to the Borromean palaces on Isola Bella and Isola Madre. On your second day, swing up Monte Mottarone or launch off on a ferry to Verbania to visit the voluptuous gardens at Villa Taranto. From Stresa, continue to Como by car or train (via Milan). Here you can amble the flower-laden promenade to Villa Olmo, visit the frescoed Basilica di San Fedele and zip up to Brunate for pretty walks and panoramic views. Then press on to Bellagio, which sits in the centre of the lake, allowing you to ferry-hop to Tremez-zo and Varenna. Back in Bellagio, round off the tour with a romantic sunset boat cruise.

7 DAYS

25©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Page 5: The Italian Lakes - Lonely Planetmedia.lonelyplanet.com/shop/pdfs/the-italian-lakes-3-contents.pdf · The Italian Lakes Paula Hardy, Marc Di Duca, Regis St Louis #^ Lake Garda & Around

This two-week tour takes you from tiny Lake Orta to the bustling southern shores of Lake Maggiore and up to the lake’s wilder northern reaches before crossing the border to Locarno in Switzerland. From here, the drive south to Lake Lugano and Como cuts through the most spectacular mountain scenery.

Head straight from Malpensa Airport to the medieval town of Orta San Giulio on the thickly wooded shores of Lake Orta. Spend the following day meandering the medi-eval streets, visiting the 12th-century basilica on Isola di San Giulio and romancing over dinner. In the morning, depart for Stresa on the southern shore of Lake Maggiore. From here you can take the ferry to the Borromean Islands for a day trip to explore their extravagant palaces and gardens. After a day or two, move north up the eastern shore of the lake to Verbania, where you can dip into the interesting Troubetzkoy sculpture collection at Museo del Paesaggio and wander through the vast gardens of Villa Taranto. Dine at charming Osteria Castello or romantic Ristorante Milano before moving on in the morning to Cannobio. This dreamy little cobbled town is one of the quietest on the lake and is a lovely place to spend a day or two lounging on the beach, sailing or exploring the Cannobino River valley. Start the second week by crossing the border to Locarno, where you can pack two days exploring the quaint old town, swimming at the lakeside lido, and visiting the Castello Visconteo, Isole di Brissago gardens and hilltop Santuario della Madonna del Sasso. In July and August, Locarno also hosts a fantastic film and music festival. The drive south from Locarno to bewitching Lago di Lugano offers spectacular mountain scenery. You’ll need two or three days here to explore the lakeside towns of Gandria, Meride and Morcote. At Meride you’ll find Mario Botta’s fascinating Museo dei Fossili, while at Gandria you can wander the 5km Sentiero di Gandria with its outstand-ing views over the lake. Base yourself in photogenic Morcote, which has been voted Switzerland’s most beautiful village. Finally, tear yourself away and head south to the silk town of Como, for a final taste of glamour and, perhaps, a swoop over the lakes with the Aero Club.

14 DAYS

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Top: Orta San Giulio (p108)

Bottom: Morcote (p146)

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For an architectural and artistic tour of northern Italy’s glittering medieval and Renaissance heydays, look no further than the elegant cities of the Po valley.

Start this tour in Milan, one of medieval Italy’s most important city-states. Spend four days here exploring the Castello Sforzesco, the collection of old masters in the Pina-coteca di Brera and Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper. Make day trips to Monza and Pavia to see the Villa Reale and the Certosa di Pavia. Journey to Bergamo on your fifth day to find some of Lombardy’s finest Re-naissance architecture in the Upper Town. Dedicate a morning to the collection in the Accademia Carrara, one of the most impres-sive galleries in Italy. From Bergamo it’s a short hop to Brescia, a city which hides a fascinating historic core in its ugly suburban sprawl, including two preserved Roman houses with floor mosaics. The Roman theme continues in Verona, your next stop. Verona’s Roman Arena hosts the world’s larg-est open-air opera festival. With three final days here, you’ll have time to wander, drink some of the region’s fine wines and maybe even day trip to Mantua to see Mantegna’s frescoes in the Palazzo Ducale.

10 DAYS Art Cities

Lombardy produces some of Italy’s finest wines and the area around Verona and Lake Garda are prime grape-growing territory. This tour combines the cultural highlights of Verona with the heady flavours of Soave, Valpolicella, Franciacorta and the Valtenesi.

Fly into Verona and enjoy two days of sightseeing in the city’s frescoed churches and grand castle museum. On the third day, day trip to Soave, where you can sample the lemony Soave Classico at the Azienda Agricola Coffele in the old town. The follow-ing day, set off for Valpolicella to sample the full bodied Amarone and Recioto reds. Prebook for tastings at wineries. A leisurely lunch at Enoteca della Valpolicella is also a must. Then continue on through the vine-covered hills to Bardolino on the shores of Lake Garda. This tiny town is surrounded by 70 wineries, one of which, Zeni, houses a wine museum. You can also sample wines here. The next day loop round the bottom of the lake into the Valtenesi. Base yourself in Salò and strike out for innovative wineries like Comincioli. Round up this wine-fuelled feast with lunch at Michelin-starred Due Colombe in Franciacorta, where you’ll get to sample some of Italy’s finest fizz.

7 DAYS

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The southern shore of Lake Garda with its mild Mediterranean climate has been attracting travellers since Roman times. Hence the tumbledown Roman ruins, pa-trician villas, elegant lakeside towns and vine- and olive-covered hinterland. This itinerary encompasses them all.

From Verona drive straight to Sirmione, the southernmost town on Lake Garda. It sits on a peninsula that juts out into the lake and is surrounded on all sides by water. Spend the night wandering the cobbled lanes, soaking in the thermal springs and, in the morning, explore the Grotte di Catullo, a ruined Roman villa set in two pretty hectares. Then drive to Salò, via Desenzano del Garda, where you can visit another Roman villa. Base yourself in Salò for four days. It was once Garda’s capital and is full of lovely Liberty-style buildings. From here, you can visit the aristocratic residence on the Isola del Garda, as well as Valtenesi wineries, olive farms and the archaeological park of Rocca di Manerba. Finally, head on to Gardone Riviera for the last two nights to take in André Heller’s beau-tiful botanical garden and the extraordinary Il Vittoriale degli Italiani, the estate of poet and Fascist Gabriele d’Annunzio.

7 DAYS

Lake Garda’s Southern Shore

The northern reaches of Lake Garda are hemmed in by high mountains, making this perfect hiking, biking and climb-ing territory. Regular winds also draw water-sports enthusiasts to this outdoor paradise.

Hire a car in Verona and head straight for the lakeside town of Garda, where you can overnight and take your first dip in the lake at the beautiful Parco Baia delle Sirene beach. The next day, drive to Mal-cesine and ascend massive Monte Baldo in the cable car. Cyclists can hire bikes at Xtreme Malcesine and take them on board, walkers can access panoramic mountain-top trails and paragliders can launch off the mountain and soar over the lake. On day three, arrive at Riva del Garda at the northern tip of the lake. Base yourself here for the next three or four days in order to pack in the wind- and kitesurf-ing, sailing, swimming, hiking, canyoning and rock climbing. Finish with a spot of R&R at B&B Peter Pan above the village of Gargnano, from where you can enjoy off-the-beaten-track walking trails in the Parco dell’Alto Garda Bresciano or flop on the beach at Parco la Fontanella.

7 DAYS

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ORRIDO DISANT'ANNA

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PARCO NAZIONALEDELLA VAL GRANDE

Off the Beaten Track: The Italian Lakes

Located in the peaceful countryside 8km north of Pavia, this architectural-ly stunning monastery is one of Italy’s largest and most opulent, filled with fine art treasures and the tombs of Milanese dukes. (p82)

CERTOSA DI PAVIAThis mountainous triangle of land between the two branches of Lake Como is criss-crossed by hiking trails. Escape the lakeside crowds for cloud-busting views, quiet mountain refuges and some excellent bird spotting. (p125)

HIKING THE TRIANGOLO LARIANO

The ‘hundred valleys’ is the westward valley route from southern Ticino to Domodossola in Italy. Take in the vertiginous views from a picturesque train, which carves a path through the valleys. (p111)

THE CENTOVALLI

The ultimate off-the-beaten-track destination is this High Alpine national park. The largest wilderness area in Italy, its walking trails take you up into mist-covered mountains offering spectacular views. (p95)

PARCO NAZIONALE DELLA VAL GRANDE

A 3km walk through a wild, wooded ravine to a gushing waterfall and a rocky, riverside stream where you bathe in blissful solitude on hot summer days. (p97)

WALKING TO ORRIDO DI SANT’ANNA

30

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Brescia

Verona

PIZZIGHETTONE

VALPOLICELLA

AUSTRIA

MONTEBALDO

0 50 km0 25 miles#e

Drive off-grid into Bergamo’s most remote valleys and enjoy wild landscapes, gushing waterfalls and hearty regional cuisine showcasing award-winning local cheese Taleggio. (p160)

VAL IMAGNA & VAL TALEGGIOGet off the well-worn lakeside road

and head into the Orobie Alps where farmers still tend their dairy herds in the old walls and produce the world- famous cheeses. (p140)

VALSASSINA

Saddle-up Western-style on Argentinian ponies at Ranch Barlot and head out for single- or multi-day horse treks in the Alpine meadows high above Lake Garda on Monte Baldo. (p192)

HORSE TREKKING ON MONTE BALDO

Opt for a few days of slow travel in the Valpolicella wine region, checking in at various wineries and restaurants to sample some of northern Italy’s most august red wines. (p201)

WINE TASTING IN VALPOLICELLA

Make a detour to this perfectly preserved medieval town encircled by rampart walls and explore its ancient historic centre before sitting down to a real rural eating experience at an old dairy farm. (p174)

PIZZIGHETTONE

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279

Walking Tour detourWalking Tour

Path/Walking Trail

BankEmbassy/ConsulateHospital/MedicalInternetPolicePost OfficeTelephoneToiletTourist InformationOther Information

AirportBorder crossingBus

CyclingFerry

U-Bahn/Underground station

MonorailParking

Metro station

Petrol stationS-Bahn/Subway stationTaxi

Train station/RailwayTram

Other Transport

LighthouseHut/Shelter

Beach

LookoutMountain/VolcanoOasisParkPassPicnic AreaWaterfall

River, CreekIntermittent River

Swamp/Mangrove

Reef

Canal

Water

Dry/Salt/Intermittent Lake

Glacier

Beach/Desert

Airport/Runway

Cemetery (Christian)

Cemetery (Other)

Park/Forest

Mudflat

Sportsground

Sight (Building)

International

DisputedRegional/SuburbMarine ParkCliffWall

Capital (National)Capital (State/Province)City/Large TownTown/Village

State/Province

LaneTertiary

TollwayFreewayPrimary

StepsPlaza/Mall

Pedestrian overpass

Secondary

Unsealed roadRoad under construction

Tunnel

Cable car/Funicular

BeachBird SanctuaryBuddhistCastle/PalaceChristianConfucianHinduIslamicJainJewishMonumentMuseum/Gallery/Historic BuildingRuin

Sento Hot Baths/Onsen

ShintoSikhTaoistWinery/VineyardZoo/Wildlife SanctuaryOther Sight

DivingBodysurfing

Sleeping

Eating

Entertainment

Shopping

Drinking & NightlifeCafe

CampingHut/Shelter

Canoeing/KayakingCourse/Tour

SkiingSnorkellingSurfingSwimming/PoolWalkingWindsurfingOther Activity

Tube station

T-bane/Tunnelbana station

Gate

Information Routes

Boundaries

Hydrography

Areas

Geographic

Population

Transport

Sights

Activities,Courses & Tours

Sleeping

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

ShoppingNote: Not all symbols displayed above appear on the maps in this book

Map Legend

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Page 12: The Italian Lakes - Lonely Planetmedia.lonelyplanet.com/shop/pdfs/the-italian-lakes-3-contents.pdf · The Italian Lakes Paula Hardy, Marc Di Duca, Regis St Louis #^ Lake Garda & Around

OUR STORYA beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their first travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born.

Today, Lonely Planet has offices in Franklin, London, Melbourne, Oakland, Dublin, Beijing and Delhi, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.

Published by Lonely Planet Global LimitedCRN 5541533rd edition – Jan 2018ISBN 978 1 78657 251 6© Lonely Planet 2018 Photographs © as indicated 201810 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Printed in ChinaAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.

Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reasona-ble care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maximum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use.

OUR WRITERSPaula HardyPaula Hardy is an independent travel writer and editorial consultant, whose work for Lonely Planet and other flagship publications has taken her from nomadic camps in the Danakil Depression to Seychellois beach huts and the jewel-like bar at the Gritti Palace on the Grand Canal. Over two decades, she has authored more than 30 Lonely Planet guidebooks and spent five years as commissioning editor of Lonely Planet’s bestselling Italian list. These days you’ll find her hunting

down new hotels, hip bars and up-and-coming artisans primarily in Milan, Venice and Marrakech. Get in touch at www.paulahardy.com.

Marc Di DucaA travel author for the last decade, Marc has worked for Lonely Planet in Siberia, Slovakia, Bavaria, England, Ukraine, Austria, Poland, Croatia, Portugal, Madeira and on the Trans-Siberian Railway, as well as writing and updating tens of other guides for other publishers. When not on the road, Marc lives between Sand-wich, Kent and Mariánské Láznĕ in the Czech Republic with his wife and two sons.

Regis St LouisRegis grew up in a small town in the American Midwest – the kind of place that fuels big dreams of travel—and he developed an early fascination with foreign dialects and world cultures. He spent his formative years learning Russian and a handful of Romance languages, which served him well on journeys across much of the globe. Regis has contributed to more than 50 Lonely Planet titles, covering destinations across six continents. His travels have taken him from the moun-

tains of Kamchatka to remote island villages in Melanesia, and to many grand urban landscapes. When not on the road, he lives in New Orleans. Follow him on www.instagram.com/regisstlouis.

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

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©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

© Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying the above - ‘Do the right thing with our content.’