Identity card
The generic term 'lake region' refers to around twenty lakes located mainly in northern Italy (the provinces of Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino) and partly in Switzerland. The project focused on four of them, grouped together north of Milan: Lake Como (140 km2) in Lombardy, Lake Maggiore (212 km2) between Piedmont and Lombardy, continuing north into the Swiss canton of Ticino, Lake Lugano (48 km2), essentially in Switzerland (Ticino), and Lake Orta (19 km2). These are lakes of glacial origin that stretch out at the foot of the Alps at an altitude of around 200 metres.
Formalities
If you are a citizen of the European Union, all you need is a valid identity card.
To call :
ITALY: 00 39 then the correspondent's number.
SWITZERLAND: 00 41 then the correspondent's number.
No time difference.
Language: Italian.
Currency: the euro.
Best season: spring and autumn; these back seasons ensure mild temperatures and avoid the crowds of the hottest months.
Group size: up to 300 people.
Information
Italian National Tourist Office: 23, rue de la Paix, 75002 Paris - Tel: 01 42 66 66 68 - Fax: 01 47 42 19 74 - Internet: http://enit-france.com
Switzerland Tourism: 11 bis, rue Scribe, 75009 Paris (offices closed to the public) - Tel: 00800 100 200 30 (free) - Fax: 00800 100 200 31 (free) - Internet: www.myswitzerland.com
Insubrica region: www.lakesandalps.com
Good ideas
Tableware shopping at rock-bottom prices (-40 %) at the Alessi factory shop in Crusinallo, on the outskirts of Omegna (Lake Orta).
VIP dinner cruise on a vintage canoe on Lake Lugano.
Bungee jumping in the Verzasca dam. A 220m drop into which you can let go headfirst, to test your nerves... A famous spot, James Bond himself did it in "Golden Eye".
Tasting tour of a wine estate in Ticino.
Privatise Luchino Visconti's childhood home in Cernobbio (Lake Como).
Private shopping at Mantero in Como, a famous silk manufacturer working for the likes of Saint-Laurent, Louis Vuitton and Chanel.
Practical guides
Italian lakes, Milan and Lombardy, Parma and Verona, Blue Guides, Hachette
Italian lakes, Le Routard, Hachette
