Lake Iseo - a well kept secret!
Lake Iseo is a well-kept secret - less well known than its neighbours (Como and Garda), it is northern Italy’s fourth largest lake and Monte Isola (traffic free and accessible by ferry & boat) is the largest lake island in Europe.
We stayed overnight at the Hotel Ulivi on the southern shores of the Lake – a small & friendly 4* hotel in a fabulous location with views of the good-sized swimming pool, the pretty gardens with olive trees (of course!) and the Lake from both our bedroom (with terrace) and the breakfast room. The hotel provides free parking and secure bike storage.
Early evening, we strolled along the lake and river front in Sarnico (just across the river) stopping for Aperitivo in two very welcoming bars. We then enjoyed dinner at Pata Negro – a superb restaurant serving innovative and delicious Sicilian influenced cuisine in the almost private dining room. In the Bistro – Spanish tapas (shame we weren’t there for 2 nights) is served!
We took our own e-bikes (the hotel provides free parking and secure bike storage) and on Sunday morning we cycled around the Lake (64 kms) passing through some delightful lake front villages, sharing the lake road with pelotons and motorbikes, travelling through numerous tunnels and enjoying many kms of bike tracks shared with walkers. It was a truly delightful way of enjoying the Lake.
If staying longer, there is so much more to do at Lake Iseo – visiting vineyards & mountain villages, taking a ferry to walk or cycle around Monte Isola, taking in frescoes and galleries and shopping at Iseo’ s historical centre. Unfortunately for us, the Treno dei Sapori (Taste train) was not operating – we will just have to return next Summer!