One of the totally unexpected highlights of our trip was the mountain lakes and how warm they were, even the biggest ones. You can literally spend there hours, without being cold. This post about must see places in Italy, with some of them totally unknown to many visitors
Must see places in Italy. Kids (and dogs) welcome
1. Toce Waterfall
The Cascade du Toce is a stunning natural attraction in the Italian Alps.
This waterfall is one of Italy’s tallest, with a drop of about 143 meters, and is known for its impressive width and powerful flow, especially during the summer when it’s fed by melting snow.
Surrounded by lush mountain scenery, the waterfall offers a beautiful viewing platform at the top, and a hike to the bottom:
Pictured below: view from the bottom of the waterfall:
2. Lake Como
Lago di Como is one of Italy’s most famous and biggest lakes (146 km) located in the Lombardy region.
It has dramatic mountain backdrops, charming villages along the shore, and has become associated with luxury and glamour.
Bellagio, pictured below, is a scenic town of just 3,600 inhabitants:
Pictured below: Erika and Andrew (and Zhuzha the dog) at the one of the countless beaches at the Lake Como:
3. Lake Orta
Lago d’Orta is a serene and picturesque lake in northern Italy.
The lake is surrounded by charming villages, and its main highlight is the enchanting Isola San Giulio, a small island with a historic basilica and monastery:
The island is dominated by the Basilica di San Giulio, a beautiful Romanesque church dedicated to Saint Julius, who, according to legend, drove away dragons to build the church.
Pictured below: at the unofficial beach of Lake Orta:
4. Pots of the giants of Uriezzo
In the stunning valley of Uriezzo, the large, fascinating geological formations were carved during the last Ice Age. They have rounded shapes, – resembling giant bowls or pots:
This place was amazing, it’s hard even choose picture/video that will show all it’s power and beauty.
On the video above shown it’s upper part, “non-swimmable”, below – lower part, where we spend almost half a day:
Pictured below: me – swimming, Zhuzha (the dog) waiting, and Artem diving:
5. Lake Magiorre
Lake Maggiore is one of the largest lakes in Italy, 65 km long. It is situated between the regions of Piedmont and Lombardy and extends into Switzerland.
The lake is known for its stunning landscapes, picturesque towns, and beautiful islands. We visited many places and liked this beach a lot:
Cannero beach
We liked Cannero for Alps being as a backdrop, very warm waters, and something for everyone: shallow beach for little ones, diving platform for bigger kid, etc:
Pictured below: mountain creek flowing into the lake, kids liked to play with pebbled and splash in the waterfall:
6. Malesco Falls
The Cascate dei Camini, also known as the Malesco Falls, are popular with locals and visitors as refreshing spot during the summer months:
We liked the easy trail around waterfalls, through suspension bridge:
7. Lake Mergozzo
Lake Mergozzo is a small, pristine lake near Lake Maggiore. Known for its crystal-clear water, Lake Mergozzo is considered one of the cleanest lakes in Italy, as motorboats have been banned there for decades, contributing to its serene environment.
The charming town of Mergozzo, located on the lake’s shores, offers beautiful views, traditional stone houses, and a few restaurants and cafes:
8. Must see places in Italy: Val Grande National Park
The Lake Mergozzo area is also popular for hiking, with trails leading up to scenic overlooks and routes that connect with the larger Val Grande National Park, the largest wilderness area in Italy.
Pictured below: at the National Park, on the left is Lake Maggiore, on the right, – Lake Mergozzo:
Here we also visited our first mountain refuge, a remote place in the wilderness, where local family lives and offer meals and overnight stays:
Where did we stay
We rented a nice, spacious house in Gabbio, – a tiny (only 249 residents), picturesque village close to Lake Maggiore and 15 min from Lake Mergozzo:
Pictured below: Piemonte region, view from the other side of the house:
View from inside, dining room:
Food
It would be a disaster not to mention Italian food.. We liked that is was easy to find a place to eat in Italy, even in the rural areas, with a simple ingredients that taste so great I still remember it..
P.S.
On of the coolest things of this trip was that it was relatively short drive from Strasbourg (our home) – we reached our place in Italy in 6 hours.
Thanks for reading, friends!
Make sure to check out prices, hours, and conditions before you go
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