Milan and the Italian Lakes – September 2007 and 2008

Capital of fashion, capital of northern Italy and an industrial centre – but frankly; this place is rather grim…

Some of the buildings here would rival the worst construction atrocities to be found in East Berlin; judging from the age I would guess that most of the worst is post war, and possibly built at speed – a similar fate suffered by many English cities – but England has made good attempts to correct the horrors of 60”s construction; Milan seems to soldier on, or at least lag behind. Added to this grim construction is the cities near addiction to the colour grey; subways, walls, the lower part of buildings – grim. grim, grim and it must be even worse in the misty winter nights.

One final note of grimness: the city is plagued by graffiti – making the place look scruffy, but at least it adds some colour …

So, what”s good; well, the transport system is fantastic, metro, trams and buses; all dirt cheap, clean and regular.

The Duomo (cathedral) is a sight to behold – like a giant wedding cake – ornate beyond the wildest dreams.

The shopping is good – but frankly; it is everywhere these days, and there is not much here that you can”t get anywhere else.

There are some good bars (bottom end of Corso Sempione) and come early evening; many do a happy hour – which means you get a free/ included buffet with your drink.

The final plus point for Milan is the roads out of it; it”s an excellent jumping off point for the Italian lakes.

The nearest big lake is Como; the town of Como being about 40 minutes by train from Milan.\r\nAll of lake Como is dramatic; being steep sided and mountainous. The lake is in the shape of an inverted Y, and gets more dramatic the further north you go.

At the apex of the Y is the town of Bellagio, popularly considered to be the prettiest village in Italy – hard to disagree, but it is very touristy.

The best way to Bellagio is to take the train to Varena, on the east side of the lake – about an hour and ten minutes from Milan – and then ferry across.

Tip; getting to Bellagio from Como is possible, but check your return, the boats can get very busy and you could spend longer getting back than you planned…

Varena itself is quite pretty and worth an hour or so of your time.

The next big lake is Garda (biggest lake in Italy); and this is really a resort in itself…

The southern end attracts mostly Italian visitors, the north; German, Austrian and British. The southern end is flatter with gentle hills, leading up to the virtually straight cliffs of the northern end. Both versions are attractive in their own way.

Pretty much all of the lake shore is developed, but in a low rise way and despite what local residents think (that”s you Carla), its all quite low key – especially when compared to the excesses of other Mediterranean shores.

Desenzano del Garda is the main town of the southern lake and is an attractive centre with a fair selection of restaurants and bars, there is also a wide selection of accommodation but book in advance at peak times. Off season it can be quiet mid week, but picks up at the weekend.

Being a short journey from several large cities, Desenzano punches above its weight in terms of shops, restaurants and bars – also in terms of; what shall I call it; ”entertainment”…

Don”t worry, you won”t be fooled… many look like drag queens that have just won the lottery…

Regardless; this is an attractive destination and I heartily recommend it…

Hotels in Desenzano and Sirmione, here