Lake Garda is the jewel of the Italian Lakes and Italy’s largest body of water. Its shoreline is more than twice the length of the Amalfi Coast, and it’s still possible to find untouched towns and villages among the glossy resorts, for example, Peschiera del Garda, a pretty waterfront town which is often compared to Venice for its network of canals. A little further north is Bardolino. Its elegant promenade is surrounded by vineyards, and the lakefront path takes walkers as far as Garda, the lake’s namesake town.

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Lake Como has so much to offer. The resorts of Menaggio, Tremezzo, Cadenabbia and Lenno, are situated on the sunny, western shore with Bellagio perched on the promontory that divides Como and Lecco. Bellagio and Menaggio, the largest resorts, are characterised by a buzzing cosmopolitan atmosphere with quaint, cobbled alleyways and café-filled piazzas. The adjacent villages of Tremezzo and Cadenabbia hug the road from Como to Switzerland and provide great bases for exploring.