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Lake Como

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Visiting Lake Como & Como Town: Top Attractions, Hotels & Tours Written by  Barbara Radcliffe Rogers Jul 5, 2019 Lake Como Only 48 kilometers north of Italy's commercial capital of Milan, Como's leafy lakeside and stone-paved streets seem a world away. You can see its Roman origins in the orderly grid of streets of its historic center and the remains of the Roman gate,  Porta Pretoria . It's more evident in walled medieval Como, a rare example of Romanesque fortifications, with the imposing  Porta Torre  (tower gate) at Piazza Vittoria. If your taste runs to something more modern, Como was a hotbed of Rationalist architects, who laid the foundation of Modernism. The poster-child building of this movement is Como's  Casa del Fascio , designed in the early 1930s by Giuseppe Terragni. Como is easy to walk around, and its tourist attractions are within walking distance of the train station and boat landing. Como revolves around its lakefront promenade and th...

Lake Maggiore

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Get to Know Italy's Lake Maggiore Written by   MARTHA BAKERJIAN Updated 03/29/19 SHARE PIN EMAIL Federica Grassi/Getty Images Lake Maggiore , or  Lago di Maggiore , is one of Italy's largest and most popular lakes. Formed from a glacier, the lake is surrounded by hills in the south and mountains to the north. It's a long and narrow lake, about 40 miles long but only about .5 to 2.5 miles in width, with a total distance around the lakeshore of 93 miles. Offering year-round tourist activities and a fairly mild climate, the lake can be visited almost any time of year. Location Lake Maggiore, north of  Milan , is on the border of Italy's  Lombardy  and  Piemonte  regions and the northern part of the lake extends into southern Switzerland. The lake is 12 miles north of Milan's Malpensa Airport. Where to Stay Hotels can be found all along the shore of the lake. Stresa is one of the main tourist towns with hotels, restaurants, shops, a train station, and a ha...

The Italian Lakes

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The Lakes of Northern Italy Written by   MARTHA BAKERJIAN Updated 06/07/19 TripSavvy / Christopher Larson The lakes of  northern Italy  are a magical place to visit. Set against the foothills of the alps, they offer dramatic scenery and a respite from summer's intense heat. Here you will find the top five lakes, including maps and tourist information. In general, Lake Como is the most popular lake for visitors, especially Americans. Lake Garda is popular with Germans and other Europeans, and Italians are likely to head for Lake Orta for an escape. One of the largest and most popular is Lake Maggiore, while Lake Iseo is somewhat of a hidden gem.  01 of 05 Lake Como TripSavvy / Christopher Larson Lake Como , or Lago di Como in Italian, is Italy's most famous lake—now even more so since actor George Clooney owns property nearby. A half hour north of Milan, Lake Como is known for its lavish villas and can get packed with visiting Milanese on weekends. A drive around the ...