Northern Lakes

The Three Lakes being depicted within
distance of one another.

Everyone envisions visiting a small Italian town on the shores of a crystal clear, blue lake. If this is what you're after, the Italian Lakes are the perfect spot for a quick, short break from the stresses of the city and work life. With the Italian Lakes, you can take your pick between three of the country's favourites: Lake Garda, Lake Como and Lake Maggiore.

Lake Garda is the largest lake out of the three and stretches from the city of Verona (where Shakespeare's Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet had their ill-fated romance) in the south-east, Brescia in the south west and Trentino in the north. The history of the Lake as a military outpost and battlefield spot is a long one from the years 268 AD to 1943 when the Axis Powers used it as a nexus for military operations and communications for the Germans during the Second World War. The city that most stands is Limone Sul Garda on the North-Western shores of the lake. The ambience of the place allows you to relax and makes every advantage over the panoramic scenery and depth of the mountains and the lake itself. Limone also prides itself on its authentic Northern Italian cuisine, which is a definite must to try.

Panoramic View of Lake Como.

Panoramic View of Lake Garda and
Limone sul Garda.

Panoramic View of Lake
Maggiore and Isole
Superiore.

Lake Como is very different by comparison. As the third-largest lake in the area, after Garda and Maggiore, it is also the deepest and allows tourists from all over the world to experience life from a very dissimilar perspective. Como is also the most benefitted lake from the tourism industry with its plethora of holiday villas and spans, rugged landscapes and wildlife. Mostly being known an as ideal holiday resort for the aristocracy and wealthy since the Roman times, Lake Como brings a raw beauty that can never be seen in everyday life. This can be seen in the many works of literature, television shows and works of art that feature the lake and/or the cities on the lake shores. One of the town/cities thriving from this trade and setting galore is Menaggio on the Western shore. Menaggio was founded and conquered, like most of the Northern towns and cities, by the Romans in 196 BC. Since then, it has expanded and developed into the atypical North Italian town it is today.

Lake Garda Map.

Lake Maggiore Map.

Lake Maggiore, however, holds a contrasting sort of beauty when compared with the other two. In Italy, it is the second-largest lake, only second to Lake Garda, but it also happens to be the largest lake in Southern Switzerland. Bordering the Italian provinces of Lombardy and Piedmont as well as the Swiss district of Ticino, Lake Maggiore holds the sort of soulful resonance you get from coming home. It is not the stereotypical lake, instead making itself more appealing with its dotted islands.

I visited Lake Garda first during the summer of 2009 and stayed at Malcesine during the trip. This gave me, oddly enough, a time to reflect upon the direction my life was taking me whilst drinking in the magnificent views of the lake and mountains behind it. Since then, I have craved to use it as a muse and setting for my pieces of writing. As a hemiplegic writer, the inspirations were endless since at the time I really truly wanted to show Italy as a place where disadvantaged and disabled young adults and children could relax and enjoy their holidays.

On a second trip to the Northern Lakes years later in 2014, I was given the opportunity to explore the exquisite waters of Lake Maggiore when I stayed at the town of Stresa. I only remember the the town simply because of how close the Islands, Isola Bella and Superiore were to the town. This, like Lake Garda before it, gave me more of an insight into the lives of the Italian people and how life in towns differed drastically from the life of the people residing in cities. Unfortunately, I have been unable to visit Lake Como but from what I have heard through the mouths of friends, Lake Como should have a pride of place on everyone's bucket list.

By and large, the Northern Italian Lakes are the perfect places to explore, relax and enjoy the simplicities of life.