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Lake Iseo trip planner
A vacation guide to Lake Iseo, Italy—including Monte Isola and Pisogne, and the prehistoric rock art in the Val Camonica
Low key Lake Iseo is a sometimes prettier—and certainly less depoiled-by-development—cousin to the Big Three lakes. There are a few diverting sights, some nice art, and a relaxing pace of life on the largest lake island in Italy.
Lake Iseo is also a gateway to the Franciacorta wine region, and hides one sightseeing trump card up its sleeve: a little known but truly spectacular series of prehistoric rock carvings in the Val Camonica valley stretching north of the lake shores.
Most of the worthwhile sights and towns on the lake proper line the eastern shore—though the views are spoiled a bit by the vast quarry on the western banks.
Tranquility on Monte Isola
Sant'Antonio da Padova by Antonio and Bartolomeo Vivarini in the Galleraia Taldini, Lovere, Lake Iseo.The lake is dominated by a huge forested hump at its center, ★ Monte Isola, the largest lake island in Italy.
There's little in particular to see, just a relaxing pace of life in its half-dozen tiny villages accessible by ferry from Sulzano or Sale Marasino.
Paintings in Lovere
The sightseeing action starts heating up as you move toward the north end of the lake.
In the town of Lovere is the Galleria Taldini with minor paintings by some major artists, including Jacopo Bellini, Parmigianino, Tintoretto, Palma Il Giovane, Tiepolo, and Hayez (Via Taldini 40, tel. +39-035-962-780, www.accademiatadini.it).
Frescoes in Pisogne
Frescoes my Romanino in the chruch of Santa Maria della Neve, Pisogne, Lake Iseo On the edge of the town of Pisogne sits the church of ★ Santa Maria della Neve, slathered inside with excellent 1532-34 frescoes by Romanino.
(Follow his name on signs; if locked, inquire at the cafe inside the adjacent cloisters).
Pyramids near Zone
Above the lake, outside the town of Zone, is a series of much-photographed, weirdly eroded rock pinnacles called the Pyramids of Zone.
Near Lake Iseo
Sparking wines in the Franciacorta - The Franciacorta wine region is famous for both light red and beefy whites (think: Chardonnay), but mostly for Franciacorta DOCG, a Brut ranked among the top sparkling whites in Itay... 
Ten thousand-year-old art in the Val Camonica - Along trails snaking through the slopes of the pre-Alpine valleys of eastern Lombardy, the prehistoric Camuni tribes etched half-exposed rock faces with more than 300,000 images of humans, animals, houses, symbols, and inscrutable art...
Planning your trip to Lago d'Iseo
- Hotels on Lake Iseo (Venere, Booking)
• Relais I Due Roccoli, Iseo [€€€]
• Hotel Rivalago, Sulzano [€€€]
• Romantik Hotel Relais Mirabella Iseo, Clusane sul Lago [€€€]
• Agriturismo Forest, Il Trav [€€]
• Hotel Iseo Lago, Iseo [€€–€€€]
• Hotel Milano, Iseo [€€]
» More Hotels in Iseo
» More Hotels in Pisogne
» More Hotels in LovereLake Iseo tourist information: The tourist office is in the town of Iseo at Lungolago Marconi, 2 (tel. +39-030-980-209, www.agenzialagoiseofranciacorta.it; regional tourism www.bresciatourism.it and www.provincia.brescia.it). There's are also useful private sites: www.lagodiseo.org and www.bresciaholiday.com.
- How to get to Lake Iseo: There's regular train service from Brescia (23–30 min.), which is where you can hook up with trains to or from Milan (80–120 min.) or Bergamo (100–140 min. total) to the west, or Desenzano del Garda (67–82 min.), Verona (86–110 min.), or Venice (2.5–3 hrs.) to the east.
- How to get around Lake Iseo: If you don't have a rental car, the easiest way is by bus (www.trasportibrescia.it) or by boat (www.navigazionelagoiseo.it).
There is also a tourist train (classic 1950s diesel jobs) called Treno Blu (tel. +39-030-740-2851, www.ferrovieturistiche.it) that leaves from Paratico on the lake's south shore (with connections to Brescia) and heads up the eastern shore of the lake (more for sightseeing than transport, but hey: it's a real train and all).
Related pages
- Major Italian lakes: Como, Garda, Maggiore
- Middlin' Italian lakes: Iseo, Orta
- Minor Italian lakes: Lugano, Idro, Varese
- The Lazio lake district (just north of Rome)
- Other destinations in Lombardy
www.agenzialagoiseofranciacorta.it
www.bresciatourism.it
www.provincia.brescia.it
Useful private sites:
www.lagodiseo.org
www.bresciaholiday.com
www.cooptur.it/iseo
Val Camonica:
www.agtvallecamonica.it
www.invallecamonica.it
www.archeocamuni.it
Hotels on Lake Iseo (Venere, Booking)
• Relais I Due Roccoli, Iseo [€€€]
• Hotel Rivalago, Sulzano [€€€]
• Romantik Hotel Relais Mirabella Iseo, Clusane sul Lago [€€€]
• Agriturismo Forest, Il Trav [€€]
• Hotel Iseo Lago, Iseo [€€–€€€]
• Hotel Milano, Iseo [€€]
» More Hotels in Iseo
» More Hotels in Pisogne
» More Hotels in Lovere
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This material was last updated January 2011. All information was accurate at the time.
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Copyright © 2008–2012 by Reid Bramblett. Author: Reid Bramblett
Hotels in the Lakes
• I Due Roccoli - High above the town of Iseo, set in a private park, the restaurant at this excellent hotel snuggles into a stone-walled patio overlooking the woods-fringed lawns and serves refined regional food. (Via Silvio Bonomelli, Colle d'Iseo; tel. +39-030-982-2977; www.idueroccoli.com; Closed Nov–Mar)
