Lombardy & the Italian Lakes, 5th

by Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls

• ISBN13: 9781860118883
• ISBN10: 1860118887
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2003-06-01
• Publisher: Cadogan Guides

Summary

The most glamorous region in Italy continues to be the country's most durable magnet for travelers. Cadogan's best-selling guide gets to grips with Milan, an international mecca of fashion and shopping that boasts awesome art collections and the world-famous La Scala opera house, and reveals idylls along the balmy shores of the famous Italian Lakes. After winding through the Renaissance cities of the Lombard plain, such as Cremona, where the world's first violin was made, the guide seeks out the spectacular 1000 foot waterfalls of Cascata della Frua, near the Alpine Ossola Valleys, home of winter sports. It also covers Lake Como, where olive groves and vineyards form the glorious backdrop to a thriving water-sports industry and waterfront restaurants. The highlights of the region are brought to life in a striking color photograph section, and comprehensive maps make navigation simple, whether driving along the autostrada or exploring a town on foot. The guide includes extensive, hand-picked listings of the best places to eat out and to sample the local vintages.

Author Biography

Italian experts Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls lived in Umbria for 3 years and have written 17 Cadogan guides to Italian regions and cities, and the Italy country guide.

Table of Contents

Introducing
Lombardy & the Italian Lakes: a photo essay
Introduction	29	(4)
A Guide to the Guide	32	(1)
History	33	(14)
Art and Architecture	47	(6)
Topics	53	(8)
Food and Drink	61	(8)
The Guide
Travel	69	(10)
Getting There	70	(3)
Entry Formalities	73	(1)
Tour Operators	74	(1)
Getting Around	75	(4)
Practical A--Z	79	(14)
Children	80	(1)
Climate	80	(1)
Crime and the Police	80	(1)
Disabled Travellers	81	(1)
Eating Out	82	(1)
Embassies and Consulates	82	(1)
Festivals	82	(1)
Gay and Lesbian	82	(1)
Health and Emergencies	83	(2)
Maps	85	(1)
Media	85	(1)
Money	85	(1)
National Holidays	86	(1)
Opening Hours	86	(1)
Packing	86	(1)
Photography	87	(1)
Post Offices	87	(1)
Shopping	87	(1)
Sports and Activities	87	(2)
Telephone	89	(1)
Time	89	(1)
Tourist Information and the Internet	89	(1)
Where to Stay	90	(3)
Milan	93	(42)
Getting Around	96	(5)
Where to Stay	101	(2)
Eating Out	103	(11)
Piazza del Duomo	114	(3)
Piazza della Scala	117	(4)
Brera and its National Gallery	121	(2)
Castello Sforzesco	123	(1)
West of the Duomo	124	(6)
South of the Duomo: Porta Romana	130	(1)
South Milan: The Ticinese and Navigli Districts	131	(1)
Short Excursions from Milan	132	(3)
The Lombard Plain	135	(36)
Pavia	137	(7)
Around Pavia: Lomello and Vigevano	144	(2)
Cremona	146	(7)
Around Cremona	153	(1)
Soncino and Paderno, Ponchielli	153	(1)
Crema	154	(2)
Mantua (Mantova)	156	(10)
Around Mantua	166	(1)
Sabbioneta	166	(5)
Lakes Orta and Maggiore	171	(40)
Lake Orta and Domodossola	173	(6)
The Osssola Valleys	179	(8)
Lake Maggiore	187	(2)
Stresa	189	(4)
The Borromean Islands	193	(1)
Verbania and Maggiore's Northwest Shore	194	(4)
Swiss Lake Maggiore	198	(1)
Locarno	199	(3)
Down the East Shore	202	(4)
Lake Maggiore to Lake Lugano: the Varesotto	206	(5)
Lakes Lugano and Como	211	(38)
Lake Lugano	212	(2)
Lugano	214	(6)
Lake Como	220	(2)
The City of Como	222	(5)
The West Shore to Cadenabbia	227	(5)
The Central Lake: Bellagio and the Larian Triangle	232	(3)
Bellagio	235	(1)
Como's Upper West Shore and the Alto Lario	236	(3)
Como's East Shore: Colico to Lecco	239	(4)
Lecco	243	(3)
Between Lecco and Como: La Brianza	246	(3)
The Valchiavenna and Valtellina	249	(16)
The Valchiavenna	251	(2)
The Valtellina	253	(1)
Sondrio and Around	254	(4)
The Middle Valtellina	258	(3)
The Upper Valtellina: Stelvio National Park	261	(4)
The East: Bergamo to Lake Garda	265	(66)
Bergamo	268	(10)
Around Bergamo	278	(1)
Towards the Orobie Alps: Bergamesque Valleys	278	(3)
Lake Iseo, Franciacorta and the Valle Camonica	281	(10)
Brescia	291	(8)
North of Brescia: Lake Idro	299	(1)
Lake Garda	300	(2)
Garda's South Shore: Desenzano	302	(5)
South Lake Garda: Sirmione & Around	307	(3)
Lake Garda: Up the West Shore	310	(5)
Gardone Riviera and D'Annunzio's Folly	315	(5)
Northern Lake Garda: Limone, Riva and Malcesine	320	(6)
The East Shore: Malcesine to Bardolino	326	(5)
Reference
Glossary	331	(2)
Language	333	(3)
Chronology	336	(3)
Index	339

Excerpts

Lake holidays faded from fashion after the last war, when a suntan evolved into a symbol of leisure instead of manual labour and summer¿s mass trek to the seashore became as instinctual as the drowning of lemmings. But the lakes are too lovely to stay out of fashion for long, and today a new generation is busily rediscovering what their grandparents took for granted.'

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Excerpted from Lombardy and the Italian Lakes by Dana Facaros, Michael Pauls
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.