Festivals The Opera Festival in Verona ( see page 20 for the programme ) takes place in the Roman Arena every year with performances running from June until the end of August . Verona also celebrates Carnival every year culminating on the Friday before Shrove Tuesday . Como holds a flea market , the Fiera di Pasqua , over the Easter weekend . Music festivals take place in Bergamo throughout the year . The Mille Miglia veteran car race starts and ends in Brescia ( via Ferrara to Rome in May each year ).
Our two centre recommendations Many regions in Italy are worth combining with the Lakes . A few popular suggestions : The Lakes and the Veneto , The Lakes and the Alto Adige , The Lakes followed by Verona and / or Venice . You might want to consider a night or two in Milan at the beginning or the end of a stay on the Lakes . Combine the Lakes with each other , for example , Maggiore and Iseo , or Garda and Orta .
How you get there By air Airports at Milan with numerous flights a day with British Airways and Verona with daily flights with British Airways . Most of the hotels in the Lakes are no more than 90 minutes ’ drive from the airport . Hire�cars We include a hire�car with all our holidays to the Italian Lakes . However , you do not need to have a car in this area , particularly if you are going to stay at just one hotel on say Lake Como or Maggiore . We can arrange a taxi transfer for you instead of the hire�car . If you are going to combine a stay on the Lakes with say a stay in Verona or Venice , you can collect the car at the airport when you arrive , use it for your stay in the Lakes and then drop the car off when you arrive in the city . With your own car You can reach the Lakes with just one overnight stop en route , perhaps in Burgundy or Alsace . We can book our French Expressions hotels for you .
Gardens at the Villa d ' Este
Each lake in brief Lake Orta Westerly�located small but very pretty lake , verdant vegetation with palms and chestnuts . Pretty lake�side harbours , San Giulio island and distinctive architecture .
Lake Como Outstandingly beautiful , narrow and long with luxuriant vegetation of olives , figs , mulberries , walnuts and oleanders . Cheerful lake�side resorts , splendid villas and their gardens , mountainous backdrop . Architecture is quite rustic and alpine of stone and wood . Sophisticated feel . Famous villas and gardens .
Lake Garda The southern shores are wide and open , fringed by vines and orchards . The northern aspect resembles a fjord with steep cliffs dropping into deep water . Lemons and olives thrive flanked by woods of cypress trees . Lake Garda at it ’ s southern end is the most ‘ Mediterranean ’ of the lakes . Wine is produced at Bardolino and Valpolicella nearby . Beautiful villas and gardens .
Locarno
Lake ITALIAN LAKES
Maggiore Lake Lake Como IE41
Lugano IE33 IE155
Bellagio
EXH695 EXH639 EXH696
IE32
IE31 Bergamo
Lake Iseo
Lake Orta
Milan IE92
IE91 EXH490
Villa Monastero , Lake Como
Riva
Lake Garda
IE265
EXH236
IE302 EXH1065 IE75
Verona
Average temp . in ° Centigrade for Como . Source : Italian State Tourist Office .
30
25 20 15 10 5
0 J F M A M J J A S O N D
Lake Maggiore A famous lake of legendary beauty . Wide and open with mountains behind . Contrasting scenery . Extraordinary array of vegetation along the lake shores including verbena , magnolias , camellias , palms , azaleas and rhododendron . Ports , promenades , boat trips . Fascinating Borromean islands .
Lake Iseo Little known , small , quite unspoiled with natural ‘ wild ’ scenery . Attractive setting amid olive trees with mountains in the distance and waterlilies along the edge . The island of Monte Isola in the lake is six miles round and covered in chestnuts , broom and olives .
Lake Lugano Called Ceresio by the Italians , most of the lake is in Switzerland . It has a wild and rugged feel with dramatic , steep sides that appear to plunge into the water . Attractive Italian�Swiss town of Lugano enjoys a sheltered , south�facing position .
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