Il Bel Paese … no other county compares with its undulating vineyard-covered hillsides, charming medieval hill towns, 5000 miles of dramatic coastline, and the jutting alpine peaks of the Dolomites in the north. But Italy is also blessed with some of the most alluring lakes, views that will take your breath away.
What could be more beautiful than a lake surrounded by snow-capped mountain peaks? The Dolomites are home to some of the most stunning mountain lake scenery in the world.
Here are some of my favorites: Lago di Misurina, not far from Cortina (the formerly grand hotel at the far end of the lake puts me in mind of Wes Anderson’s film “Grand Hotel Budapest” J), Lago di Braies and Lago di Dobbiaco—all of which are easy to visit, no hiking required.
Italy’s most famous lake of all is Lago di Como. Considered to be one of the most beautiful in Europe it is shaped like an upside-down Y with the ever-popular town of Bellagio at the top of the east and west fork.
One ferry stop northeast of Bellagio is the charming lakeside town of Varenna.
Take a 45-minute hike from town to discover the Castle of Vizio, with its spectral inhabitants, captivating carved figures and splendid vistas.
Lago di Garda is Italy’s largest lake and a favorite of cyclists and sporting enthusiasts. It features many fairy-tale lakeside towns, especially further north.
At the southernmost point you’ll find the popular resort town of Sirmione with its iconic medieval castle.
Lake Maggiore, less than an hour from Milan and often overlooked for the glamour of Lake Como, is a favorite of mine with its old-world charm and quiet air of sophistication.
I especially love its beautiful Borromean islands—Isola Bella and Isola dei Pescatori in particular—which you can get to by ferry from the town of Stresa on the lake’s western shore.
An undiscovered jewel not to be missed west of Lago di Maggiore in Piemonte, is the picture-perfect Lake Orta, which (thankfully) remains one of Italy’s best kept secrets.
Nestled between the northern cities of Bergamo and Brescia in the Franciacorta wine region is Lago d’Iseo with its quaint villages and lovely lakeside promenades.
Central Italy is also blessed with three particularly stunning lakes. Lago di Trasimeno is in the green heart of Umbria, amid beds of reeds and white water lilies. It’s shallow and abundant in fish —19 different species — and is home to wild ducks, cormorants, and kingfishers.
Lazio’s Lake Bolsena is the largest volcanic lake in Europe, formed by a great eruption 370,000 years ago. Encircled by a crown of hills, its shores are dotted with enchanting medieval villages. Rarely overcrowded and abundant with beautiful black volcanic sands and crystal-clear waters, it is a favorite getaway for Italians and bird watchers. (You can reach it easily from Rome or Orvieto.)
A half-hour drive from Rome, you will reach another volcanic beauty—Lake Bracciano—and feel transported to another world. Romans looking for a quick escape from the city enjoy its exceptionally clean waters and its quietude—powerboats are banned. Surrounded by greenery, olive groves, quaint villages and the imposing Orsini Odescalchi Castle (a popular spot for lux weddings), it is also a favorite spot for bird watchers.
Italy’s lakes are gleaming jewels not to be missed in a country already rich in a multitude of natural treasures!
Buona Festa del Ringraziamento!
On this day of thanks, and especially after two pandemic Thanksgivings, I thought it would be fun to give a “grazie mille” for some of the many, many ways Italy and the spirit of la dolce vita make our lives sweeter.
We’ll start with some foodie gratitude, as doubtless many of us have food on our minds! We begin with pizza, with its humble Neapolitan cucina povera roots—the “crust” first served as an improvised oven thermometer, and to prevent waste it was “repurposed” as a carrier for whatever leftovers might be available. Today “pizza” is the #1 word in the Italian language understood by everyone, everywhere!
Not to mention mozzarella di bufala, burrata, Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, taleggio, gorgonzola, and the list goes on … Plus savory salumi with their many sensory, stimulating variations … As well as endless varieties of pastas and sauces, and saltimbocca and ossobuco. Let’s give thanks for the sweetness of figs, fragrant blood oranges and the world’s most heavenly lemons . . . and limoncello and granita limone . And, lest we not forget: GELATO! … and the incomparable cannoli … YUM!
Let’s also praise Italy’s chocolate cities: Torino, home of Nutella; Perugia, home of Baci; and the Sicilian city of Modica with its distinctively textured cold-pressed chocolate bars made in the style of the ancients—but in this case, the Aztecs!
Shifting gears … let’s be grateful for the grace of the roman arch, Palladian windows, and so much other timeless architecture. As well as our sense of time itself—our calendar and especially the blissful summer months of July and August, named respectively for Julius Caesar and Rome’s first Emperor, Augustus.
For Rome, the Eternal City … for Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance … for Leonardo, for Michelangelo, for Raphael, and for the world’s most recognized and beloved art treasures. And, for so many charming medieval hill towns and vineyard-covered hillsides, plus over 5,000 miles of stunning coastline. For La Serenissima, the most magical and improbable of cities and for the rhythmic lapping of her canals and the romance of the gondola …
For the world’s most mellifluous language—musical and sexy, everything just sounds better in Italian … what else would you expect from the language created by Dante, the world’s greatest poet?!
For the language of music and the creation of opera, the piano and the violin … For Vivaldi and Verdi … and for Volare!
For the Ferrari and the Vespa … and for an unfailing sense of style and la bella figura … and sprezzatura!
For the fun and frivolity of the zanni (clowns) of the Commedia dell’ Arte, including the engagingly transgressive Arlecchino … and for Fellini and Roberto Benigni!
But most of all, for the spirit of resilience and joy that speaks to the “inner Italian” within all of us. SAlute and Viva l’Italia!
Finally a special grazie mille to those who have contributed to and enriched Postcards from the Boot over these past 4 years—Deborah Baldini and Biordi Art Imports, Kathleen Gonzalez, Karen La Rosa, Danielle Oteri, Anita Sanseverino, Allison Scolo, and especially, Frank Yantorno who is a phenomenal photographer, artist and Ciclismo Classico cycling guide extraordinaire. And, above all, to ALL of YOU readers for your support and encouragement.
Few countries can boast having ever had a “Golden Age” while Italy is the only country to have experienced not just one or even two but three golden ages!
Two thousand years ago Rome created an empire that dominated the Western world for an unprecedented four centuries. It was a triumph of engineering, artistic and organizational genius.Roman engineering genius gave us the longest-lasting monuments and buildings—as well as bridges, paved roads, aqueducts and cities—from antiquity, all of which created a sense of local community and inclusion in their time. Arenas like the Colosseum regularly hosted public entertainments that were impressive even by today’s standards.
Rome’s great legacy would help inspire Italy’s second Golden Age: the Renaissance, that 250-year creative flowering and intellectual transformation which began in 15th century Florence. Like classical Rome, the Italian Renaissance would spawn timeless artistic treasures and scientific advances. It would also celebrate human agency, an impulse that informs our modern sense of ourselves.
Italy is once again experiencing a Golden Age … though one of an entirely different nature. It’s one that celebrates the good life—La Dolce Vita—in all aspects of beauty and pleasure.
Following World War II, movies like Roman Holiday and gorgeous women like Sophia Loren (not to mention their ubiquitous leading man, Marcello Mastroianni) established Italy as the ultimate destination for romance, soon supplanting Paris as the epicenter of love.
Italy perennially ranks numero uno as people’s most desired place to visit and it’s now synonymous with fashion and design. And, no surprise, Italian cuisine ranks as the world’s most popular! The most important international modern art extravaganza—the Biennial—began in Venice. So did the world’s first film festival.
Today Italy is the world’s undisputed Lifestyle Superpower.
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