Five Things To Do In Lombardy and Italian Lakes

Image via WikipediaA country of pasta and wine, sunshine and snow, renaissance palaces and roman ruins, Italy is as beautiful as it is complex, making this region of Italy so popular for people to come and have a self catering holiday here in a rental villa or a rustic rural house. Lombardy is an Italian region which occupies a major part of Po Valley.
Orobic Alps, Rhaetian and Lepontine form its northern borders and it has a hilly district having major Italian lakes from lakes of Iseo, Como and Varese to Easter slopes of the Lago Maggiore. This area is rich in water mainly because of Po and the affluents. The capital of the region is Milan and the major cities are Brescia, Bergamo, Varese, Mantua, Pavia, Cremona, Sondrio and Como.
The first thing you can do in Lombardy is to view its Romanesque architecture. Each major city of Lombardy has beautiful examples of this type of architecture and the most stunning monument from the Gothic period remains the Cathedral of Milan.

Cooking Pots For Giants in Northern Italy

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By Marcus Smith

Many visitors to northern Italy visit the region of Lombardy, and particularly the lakes. The best known of these lakes is called lake Como, and is usually explored from the town of Como itself. The lake is extensive, and in a lovely setting surrounded by mountains. All leisure activities are close to hand, both hiking and cycling in the surrounding area and water-based activities on the lake itself.
During your visit we suggest you take a trip about 30 kilometers to the north to visit the region around the small town of Chiavenna. Less well known than the main lake resorts, it has an interesting old town to discover and there are several fascinating and impressive natural highlights to discover nearby.

I Love Italian Travel - Wine Touring In Lombardy

Image via WikipediaSo you are planning to visit Lombardy, a region of northern Italy bordering on Switzerland, the Gulf of Taranto, and the Tyrrhenian Sea. Its regional capital and largest city is Milan, the center of Italian finance, fashion, and media. Lombardy is home to La Scala, the greatest opera house in Europe, or perhaps the whole world. And the Cathedral of Milan, ooh, la, la. You will find museums galore and the massive, impressive Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, an upscale Nineteenth Century shopping mall.
Small towns in Lombardy that are well worth visiting include Pavia which houses an important university, Cremona the historic center of violin making, and Mantua, where Romeo fled after killing Juliet's cousin. Its Palazzo Ducale contains 500 rooms one of which took a master seven years to paint. Save some time and money to visit the lakes. Lombardy doesn't border any sea but it's home to Lake Maggiore, Lake Iseo, Lake Orta, Lake Como, and Lake Garda which spills over into the neighboring regions of Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto. Each lake has its own special attractions, as do the lakeside towns such as Bellagio, considered one of the loveliest towns in Europe, and honored by a hotel of that name in Las Vegas.

Lombardy is home to three DOCG wines. Franciacorta is produced near Lake Iseo between Bergamo and Brescia. This is Italy's answer to Champagne and priced accordingly. The rosé tends to cost more than the white. Sforzato di Valtellina and Valtellina Superiore are vinified from the red Nebbiolo grape locally known as Chiavennasca. Perhaps it's no surprise that these wines comes from western Lombardy not far from Piedmont. After all, Nebbiolo is Piedmont's signature grape. Just for the record Sforzato di Valtellina is made from dried grapes and often costs more than Valtellina Superiore. The best Valtellina Superiore wines tend to come from the rocky Sassella subdistrict.

The major white grape varieties include the local Garganega (the major componenent of Soave in next-door Veneto), Trebbiano di Lugana, Riesling Renano, and its cousin, Riesling Italico. International white grape varieties include Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco, the major components of Franciacorta. Regional reds include Barbera, Bonarda, Chiavennasca (Nebbiolo), and Lambrusco. Pinot Noir is found in Franciacorta and some other wines such as the high-volume Oltrepò Pavese DOC made in a wide variety of styles.

Companies selling regional wine tours include Prime Italy, Le Baccanti, Romantic Travel Destinations Getaway, and Wine Tour Italia. Regional wineries accepting visits include Berlucchi in Cortefranca, Cavalleri in Erbusco, and Sertoli Salis in Tirano. A few words of warning are in order. Make sure that you check ahead of time for opening hours and whether English is spoken. Some places may charge admission; others may expect you to buy some of their products.


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Over the years Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet but simply prefers drinking fine Italian or other wine, with the right foods. He teaches a variety of computer classes at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his Italian travel website http://www.travelitalytravel.com which includes information on Italian wine and food.


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Discover the 'Other' Italian Lakes

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By Mark Scriven

When you think of the Italian Lakes most people tend to think of Lake Maggiore, Lake Lugano, Lake Como, and Lake Garda - the famous glacial lakes located in the northern Lombardy region in the foothills of the Alps and close to Italy's border with Switzerland. These stunning lakes attract millions of tourists each year and can be exceptionally crowded during weekends and in the summer months.

However, there are another group of lakes in Italy which are just as beautiful but much less well-known. The 'other' Italian lakes are volcanic in nature and located just north of Rome, in the Lazio area. Lake Bracciano, Lake Bolsena and Lake Vico are very easy to get to and are all breathtakingly beautiful. You will find them between the Apennine Mountains on the east, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west sitting at an altitude of almost three hundred meters.

Perhaps one of the best ways to experience these lakes is to rent one of the many historical holiday houses that are available in the area. These properties tend to be located in very rural areas, or in small villages, and provide a real feel for the local area.

There are many holiday rental options to choose from in the Lazio region that will fit any budget. However, due to the proximity of Rome it is important to make reservations well in advance - especially in high season.

You will find a number of stunning rental properties in this area. For example, the lovely Villa Concetta is only two kilometers away from Lake Vico. This is the oldest volcanic lake in Europe. It is also very near to lake front beaches and lots of nice restaurants and bars. The villa is surrounded by spacious landscaped grounds and is equipped with a private swimming pool.

You can barbecue and eat outside on the patio. If you don't want to cook, there are great restaurants nearby. The village of Caprarola is nearby with its pharmacy, shops and banks. There are wonderful walking trails in the nearby woods and the Cimini mountains.

Villa Castelluzzo is another beautiful and historic holiday villa which is secluded amongst lovely lawns, wooded gardens, and mature trees on the Lazio/Umbria border near Assisi. This property is extremely well appointed and features a floodlit tennis court, a large outdoor pool, a heated indoor pool, sauna and jacuzzi.

The lovely village of Lubriano is only a few kilometers away and you can easily drive to Lake Bolsena just 16-kilometers away. The towns of Maremma and Montepulciano make great day trips.

Villa Anna is a large vacation property suitable for a group on holiday or for a large family. It's situated only an hour from Rome on the shore of beautiful Lake Vico. The house features open fireplaces, large picture windows and traditional furnishings. It offers a total of five bedrooms - three on the ground floor and two on the second floor. There is plenty of outside dining space and the house overlooks wooded gardens and lawns with wonderful panoramas of the lake and the beach. The lake with its numerous restaurants and bars is a short walk from the villa.

The historic village of Ronciglione is just four kilometers away on the Via Francigena offering a wide selection of restaurants as well as other amenities.

Whether you decide to stay in one of these stunning holiday homes or choose a different accommodation option, the 'other' Italian lakes of Lake Bracciano, Lake Bolsena and Lake Vico are definitely worth a visit. Not only are they as beautiful as their more celebrated rivals in the North of Italy, but they also offer a much less crowded and natural alternative.

Mark Scriven is an online marketing expert and has written many articles on business, travel and the internet. For a wide selection of holiday villas in Italy visit Cottages to Castles, specialists in luxury vacation rentals in Italy.

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