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The Pearl of Italy’s Lake District

You’ve probably heard of northern Italy’s three famous lakes. Maggiore, Como, and Garda: long stretches of blue water nestling in the folds of the lower Alps, their shores peppered with villages that draw tourists by the boatload.

There’s also a fourth, affectionately known as the ‘pearl of Italy’s lake district.’

The brochures all use terms like ‘undiscovered gem’ to describe it, but, while Lake Iseo is certainly not on the Hollywood A-list's radar and is hardly frequented by foreign tourists or the George Clooneys of this world, Italians have been living and holidaying there for centuries.

Like its bigger, more popular sisters, Lake Iseo is studded with rustic fishing villages and hamlets, all connected by the prettiest coastal road you’ll ever see.

In fact, the whole of Lake Iseo is pretty as a picture. Its crown jewel, the wooded island of Monte Isola, is a magnet for beauty-seekers and intrepid hikers wanting to wander its fairy forests and climb up to its perfect chapel.

The town of Lovere is officially one of the most beautiful in Italy. And right on its doorstep, literally blending into it, is Castro, a lesser-known village on the lesser-known lake that is as rewarding as Lovere, just quieter.

It ticks many of the same boxes: it has the same coastal road with its rocky overhangs, a wonderfully atmospheric promenade complete with a tiny marina, a trattoria or two, and roads that snake up to terraces, on which stand pastel-colored houses looking onto the water.

Castro is the ideal stepping stone from which to explore.

Where to Stay on Lake Iseo

Our own preference is Iseo Lake. It’s right on the waterfront so can be noisy in season, but Maria won’t stay anywhere else. The décor is chic and modern: wide-screen TV, private bathroom, and hair dryer. Everything is new, works, and is functional, with the warm personal service being a nice counterpoint. This B&B is right by Lovere and the ferry point, so one gets to where one wants to go fairly easily, nourished by a breakfast that doesn’t disappoint.

Food

Okay, so Castro isn’t the home of haute cuisine—although my son may disagree, as it does boast a corner pizza place, the Ristorante Pizzeria Il Cantu, which, to be fair, serves the authentic article, as well as those vital Italian staples: pasta, wine, tiramisu, espresso, and gelato. In the summer, service can be a little hit and miss; they always seem short-staffed when things get busy.

The menu at Trattoria Vulcano, by the Iseo Lake B&B, is more extensive. As you’d expect, there’s a catch-of-the-day, your choice of pastas, meat dishes, etc. It’s honest Italian fare, although it is not a reason in itself to visit Lake Iseo.

Activities on Lake Iseo

Monte Isola

Castro, for its quietness, is a perfect base of operations. Those operations should at some point include taking the ferry to Monte Isola, a fairyland complimented by that picture-perfect chapel at its apex.

The 2 ancient fishing villages belong to an era where time moved slower. In Peschiera, for example, you’ll still find women sitting under porticos, mending nets as they’ve done for centuries.

Mainland

The mainland is also a paradise: wooded and rugged and old and quiet and settled and historic. Words are poor substitutes. Even pictures, which can better express the seasonal changes, just can’t reflect the diversity of color and mood.

In every village, there’s any number of unique attractions. Most have their own church. Even Castro has a church. Two, in fact. One old and deconsecrated, one new and active.

Watersports? Take your pick.

Fishing? Get a permit.

It’s all here. Iseo is a wonderland, a world around a lake.

Directions

Brescia and Bergamo are your closest towns. Both have airports. The lake is well connected to roads, can be reached by bus, and has a useful railway running from Brescia up the eastern shore through the valley to the north. Having a car is always a good idea; and trips out to Verona, Milan, and Venice are an option. But, once you’re here, I’m betting you’ll want to stay where you are.