Prealps and great Lombard lakes is one of the four tourist areas into which the Lombardy.
To know
The major Lombard lakes with their cities, towns and interesting villages characterize this territorial strip of the region for tourism, but the cities of art are equally interesting for tourism: Bergamo, Brescia, Como; then Lecco is Varese.
Geographical notes
This strip of central northern territory of the Lombardy Region has as its western border the Lake Maggiore, which it shares with the Piedmont, and to the east Lake Garda, which it shares with the Veneto and, for a small part to the north, with the Trentino Alto Adige. Area of large lakes also means area of large rivers, all tributaries of the Po, all with perennial waters (unlike the right tributaries, for example in Emilia Romagna, which as more torrential than fluvial in nature, suffer long dry periods): Ticino, Lambro, Adda, Serio, Oglio, Mella, Chiese, Mincio.Val Sabbia, Val Trompia, Cavallina Valley, Valsassina they are some of the major valleys mainly of glacial origin that furrow its Pre-Alps.
Territories and tourist destinations
Lake Maggiore - A natural environment of enchanting beauty, views and inlets that look like pictures, coastal villages of elegant simplicity and great charm; it is not for nothing that the lake has transformed its notoriety from national to global, also thanks to the presence on its shores of world-famous personalities, which actually invests the Piedmontese side rather than the Lombard one. Angera, Ispra, Laveno, Not him, Maccagno are its best known Lombard coastal centers.
Varese - It embraces the centers that do not overlook Lake Maggiore, the city of Varese, the mountain area to the north. Here, on the border with Switzerland, Porto Ceresio overlooks a stretch of the Lombard bank of the Lugano lake and constitutes a tourist center of good reputation. But Varese is a land rich in lakes: Lake Varese, Lake Comabbio, Lake Monate are the largest. The cities of the south of its administrative province constitute instead, with other centers of the administrative province of Milan, the interprovincial district ofAlto Milanese.
Comasco - It is the whole plain area that is affected by the attraction of Como but it does not overlook the lake like the city that gives it its name. In the north it includes charming mountain resorts and first-rate tourist resorts such as Porlezza, on the shores of the Italian piece of the Swiss Lugano lake. The Como area has then, the only example in Italy, a part of territory that is not contiguous, but surrounded by the territory of another State: Champion of Italy, on the lake of Lugano in Swiss territory, whose reputation is linked to its Casino.
Lake Como - Lake Como, with the cities of Como is Lecco constitutes a homogeneous tourist area which in addition to the two major cities groups the coastal centers of its shores, even if belonging to three different provincial administrative subdivisions: Cernobbio, Tremezzo, Menaggio, Gravedona, Colico, Bellano, Varenna, Bellagio, all centers that enjoy a thriving tourist economy.
Lecco - The whole mountain area behind and north of Lecco, up to the border with Valtellina, is a summer holiday destination and enjoys the proximity of Lake Como, whose western branch is here renamed Lake Lecco. It is located on the Lecco hills Barzio, which already in the nineteenth century was a holiday destination for wealthy Milanese families. The family of Alessandro Manzoni originally came from Barzio, who will make the branch of the Lake immortal which turns to noon. The high profiles of the Resegone (1875 m.) And of the Southern Grigna (2177 m.) And Northern (2409 m) characterize the landscape of Lecco.
Bergamasco - Between mountains and plains, Bergamo and its territory mainly offer tourists the great artistic heritage of the splendid Upper Town; the rest of the area counts Pontida, which evokes memories of ancient freedoms and municipal struggles, Trescore Balneario, with thermal waters of centuries-old frequentation, Alzano Lombardo.
Lake Iseo — Iseo, Pisogne, Lovere, Sarnico is Monte Isola are the cities of this lake formed by the Oglio which with its waters has filled the glacial valley carved by the glacier of the Valcamonica. It is the fourth largest among the great Lombard lakes, and like the others it enjoys a good tourist activity.
Bresciano - The Lioness Lombardy is the center of greatest interest in the Brescia area proper, ie the immediate belt of territory between the first hills and the plain that surrounds the city. City of art and city of great industrial development, it constitutes a powerful economic engine for the whole Lombardy region, and after the Milan metropolitan area it constitutes the second major regional industrial pole. The mountainous areas north of the city, with beautiful valleys and summer holiday tourism, embrace the area of Lake Idro, another Lombard lake with a solid tourist vocation.
Idro lake - It stretches along the narrow valley of the river that forms it, the Chiese, and faces north on the border of the Giudicarie Valleys Trentino and south to Val Sabbia. On its waters it is not uncommon to see myriads of sails. A destination for lake sports tourism, its banks are full of campsites. The tourist presence of foreigners is dominated by the Dutch. Its main centers are Hydro, Anfo is Caffaro Bridge.
Lake Garda - The largest body of water in the Peninsula and in Lombardy offers tourist opportunities of various kinds: climatic stays, including winter ones, for the elderly and families, bathing and water sports activities; excursions on the reliefs that surround the lake basin; entertainment for young people in the countless clubs (bars, breweries, dancing) scattered above all in the lower lake; entertainment for the little ones in the water parks and amusement parks that are located near it also on the Venetian shore. One less tourism popular, more refined, on the other hand, can be seen in the northern part of the Trentino, a legacy of the tourist development that the area had under the Habsburg Empire, when it was favored as a place for an elite climatic stay among the Austrian noble class.
Franciacorta - renowned for the production of the homonymous sparkling wine, Franciacorta is dotted with many vineyards and historic villas and castles that characterize its environment. Of great interest are the guided visits to the most famous wineries in the area.
Urban centers
- Bergamo - City of ancient atmospheres, Bergamo Alta from its refuge on a hill looks at the new modern city that is spreading like wildfire. Modernity did not hurt the ancient city, it did not outrage it; she has kept away from it with respectful respect. And this is why she can proudly show the tourist, almost like in a painting, the image of her wonderfully intact ancient heart on the hill where the city was born.
- Brescia - Vast and modern, the Lioness, the second city of the Region, with some districts climbs on the first hills, and expands more and more in the plains. In its ancient part, however, it retains many traces of Roman Brixia, of the Lombards who made it the capital of a prosperous and vast Duchy as well as of the over three hundred years of Venetian rule, during which it was a quiet and flourishing city of the Mainland. The museum complexes of Santa Giulia are of great importance.
- Cantù - It was said city of a hundred towers; now they are gone, but an ancient core has remained showing beautiful religious monuments. It is a center for the manufacture of lace and lace, and is even better known for the production of furniture.
- Como - The city enjoys the beautiful view of the looming mountains and the opening of the waters of the lake to which it gives its name. The square overlooking the lake often receives its waters in moments of flood, almost to emulate the more famous Venice. Even the beautiful patrician villas that alternate along the banks of the Lario, where the city stretches towards the northwest, could almost be compared to the Venetian villas, even if Como was always in the Milanese orbit. City of silk, lives on a solid and quiet economy, which has generated a non-irreverent development towards the monuments of the past.
- Desenzano del Garda - It is now by far the most populous city on the lake, on whose shores it occupies the south-western area, where the mirror of the water is wide-ranging, and the blue panorama is framed by the alpine hills to the west and by the long promontory that hosts Sirmione to the east. It has a historic core of Venetian atmospheres.
- Hydro - It gives its name to its lake, or perhaps it takes its name from the lake, as Idro is the denomination of a common scattered which brings together the towns of Crone, Lemprato, Pieve Vecchia, Tre Capitelli, Vantone, Vesta. The lake owes its tourist development which constitutes its main economic activity.
- Iseo - small town on Lake Iseo, with a beautiful castle and a square with many historical buildings and monuments such as the first non-equestrian monument dedicated toHero of the two worlds, Giuseppe Garibaldi.
- Lecco - On Lake Como, Lecco rises on the branch which turns to noon, to which it gives its name. Its horizon is drawn by the lake and the profile of the Resegone. Leaving behind the peasant world of Manzoni's memory, the city has developed a solid metallurgical activity that has determined its development.
- Not him - The old village is revealed in an inlet of Lake Maggiore, with a Lombard atmosphere and a characteristic lakefront where plane trees from many springs make a fine show of themselves. Luino, known as the tourist center of the lake, enjoys a great reputation also for being the scene of the novels of the well-known writer Piero Chiara.
- Salò - Known perhaps to most people only because its name was linked to controversial events of the war period, the town deserves to be known and admired for the luminous beauty of its lakefront, the noble sobriety of its Cathedral, the vivacity of the colors of the facades of its houses, with a Venetian flavor.
- Varese - It boasts villas and gardens scattered in the greenery that extends from Sacro Monte and Monte Tre Croci to the valley, and has its own lake to which it gives its name. It was an elite tourist destination for the Lombard nobility since the eighteenth century. Also a destination for religious tourism to the nearby Sacro Monte, the city is now the center of lively industrial activity.
Thermal centers
- Ome - This medieval village hosts the Terme di Franciacorta [1][link not working], an area that boasts a wealth of water but which binds its fame above all to the wealth of fine wines. .
- Sirmione - The Baths [2] of the city of Catullus were already known and frequented by the Romans, and are still a cornerstone of tourism in this center of precious beauty on the Lake Garda.
- Trescore Balneario - In Bergamasco, its thermal baths [3][link not working] between Bergamo, Valcamonica is Lake Iseo they were already known in the Middle Ages.
- Vallio Terme - In the territory Bresciano towards Val Trompia, its spa has been in operation since 1953.
Other destinations
- Monte Isola - Located in Lake Iseo, it is the highest lake island inEurope.
- Plans of Bobbio - Ski station.
How to get
By plane
In this region there are two international airports:
- 1 Bergamo-Orio al Serio Airport (the Caravaggio), Via Aeroporto 13, Orio al Serio, ☎ 39 035 326323.
- 2 Milan-Malpensa Airport (MXP), Ferno. The airport has two terminals (T1 and T2), the second is used for low cost flights. The bus service Motorway connects the airport with Milan central station in about 50 minutes, while the Malpensa Express it connects Terminal 1 with Cadorna station (red and green line underground) in 40 minutes. The buses of the Sadem is Motorway reach the city of Turin (2 hours), while the company Foxes make a few trips for Genoa (3 hours).
The area is also affected by the airports of:
- Milan-Linate airport, Viale Enrico Forlanini, ☎ 39 02 232323.
- Verona Airport (Catullus), Boxes of Sommacampagna, ☎ 39 045 8095666, @[email protected].
- Brescia Airport (D'Annunzio), Via Aeroporto 34, Montichiari (Connections with Brescia airport are guaranteed by public transport via the bus. The stop a Brescia city is located at the bus station (number 23), while that of the airport is at the front of the terminal. There are also connections to the city of Verona via bus / shuttle line 1), ☎ 39 045 8095666, @[email protected]. Cargo and Charter flights only.
How to get around
What see
Itineraries
Prealps and great Lombard lakes is part of the following itineraries:
- Road of Wines and Flavors of Garda, a route of food and wine tourism promotion, about 200 kilometers long and recognized by the Lombardy Region, which winds through the province of Brescia on a territory of 25 municipalities, including: Pozzolengo, Desenzano del Garda, Lonato del Garda, Padenghe sul Garda, Moniga del Garda, Soiano del Lago, Muscoline, Polpenazze del Garda, Manerba del Garda, Puegnago del Garda, Sirmione, Gardone Riviera, Toscolano-Maderno, Salò, Limone sul Garda is Tremosine;
- Franciacorta Wine Route, a route of food and wine tourism promotion, about 80 kilometers long and recognized by the Lombardy Region, which winds through the province of Brescia on a territory of 19 municipalities, including: Provaglio d'Iseo, Monticelli Brusati, Ome, Gussago, Rodengo Saiano, Cellatica, Paderno Franciacorta, They pass, Cazzago San Martino, Rovato, Coccaglio, Cologne, Erbusco, Corte Franca, Adro, Iseo, Roe deer is Paratico;
- Road of Wine and Flavors of Valcalepio, a path of food and wine tourism promotion, about 100 kilometers long and recognized by the Lombardy Region, which winds through the province of Bergamo on a territory of 94 municipalities, including: Under Monte Giovanni XXIII, Capriate San Gervasio, Pontida, Almenno San Salvatore, Alzano Lombardo, Trescore Balneario, San Paolo d'Argon, Grumello del Monte, Castles Calepio is Sarnico.
