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Returning to the Lake District

Posted by (Illinois) on

Last year my husband and I spent 3 days in Bellagio, and stayed at the Hotel Belvedere. We loved, loved, loved everything about both the town and the hotel. Next year we have the opportunity to return to the area with our two daughters, 17 and 19.

Short of going back to the exact same place, I'm looking for suggestions on another town/resort/lake we would equally enjoy.... perhaps Stresa? My girls are fairly sophisticated travelers, who like a small bit of culture, light shopping, dining and sunning (so an outdoor pool is a requirement). Also, we were thinking of taking a day trip into Lugano, if that plays into the decision of where to stay at all (at this point, I know absolutely nothing about the ease, difficulty or expense of train travel).

I'd be grateful for people familiar with the various areas to chime in with their thoughts.

Posted by
16243 posts

If you go to lake Maggiore, Stresa is a great choice, right across from the beautiful Borromee islands. While there don't miss the beautiful medieval village of Cannobio, more to the north, near the Swiss border (you can also visit Locarno in Switzerland if you want, the northernmost tip of the lake is in Swiss territory). You can travel around the lake by bus or boats). Next to lake Maggiore is Lake Orta (connections via bus). On that lake you will love the village of Orta San Giulio, part of which is in an island).

On lake Como the best part is the Midlake (Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio and all other smaller villages in the area). south of Menaggio, on the western shore is the village of Laglio. See if George Clooney lets you stay at his villa there. From Menaggio it's a quick trip to Lugano. There is a bus that connects the two back and forth).

On Lake Garda (prob my fav) the north side is most beautiful (Limone, Malcesine, Riva, Torri, Gargnano, etc.) however on the south side you can't miss visiting Sirmione, a gem of a medieval town (lots of tourists though).

Posted by
1540 posts

I vote for Varenna, easy to get to by train, and you just walk down hill a couple of blocks to get to the center of town (ok, not the historic square, but what is maybe the mid point for the current traffic)
any way, we stayed at casa villa Clara... lovely apt with 2 beds, 2 baths, kitchenette and small living room and washing machine!!! Clara has an amazing private yard with lounge chairs and there is a small "beach" about 2 blocks away.

we were thrilled with the variety of restaurants and bakeries and gelato shops, and I'd say the town has also "small bit of culture and light shopping" there is also a historic castle one can trek to at the top of the hill. and yes, its easy to ride the ferry to other towns. you can take them back to Bellagio for heavy duty shopping if need be.

http://www.apartmentsvarenna.com/index.html

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