Italy
Itinerary:
DAY 1
ARRIVAL ON LAKE COMO
You should arrive at the airport to take your flight to Milan from where you will be taken to your choice of four-star hotel.
DAY 2
LAKE COMO & BELLAGIO
Villa del Balbianello
Lake Como, one of the deepest in Europe, has been beloved of romantics since the famous Roman chronicler Pliny wrote of its luxuriant beauty and it has inspired some of the best works by greats such as Verdi and Rossini. A favourite of Shelley and Wordsworth, the delights of Lake Como are many and varied and this morning you can enjoy one of its many highlights, a private boat and tour of the beautiful, 18th century Villa del Balbianello, one of the finest villas surrounding the lake. Originally built for a cardinal, it features a renowned collection of art and historic furniture, ironically much of it English, including an oak bureau from Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory. The gardens are equally stunning, being a series of manicured terraces full of fragrant roses and colourful borders, dominated by a classic three arched ‘loggia’, and all creatively planted using the rugged topography to great effect.
The boat then takes us to the elegant and exclusive resort of Bellagio which, with its idyllic location on a promontory on the lake, is often described as the most beautiful town in Italy, and when you see it you will almost certainly agree! Once the haunt of European monarchs, today the attractive, pastel-coloured buildings, faded by decades of sunshine, line the lake shore and narrow cobbled streets and lanes climb their way to the hilly centre. Awash with colourful flowers Bellagio cannot be bettered for a long lazy lunch in one of the many lakeside restaurants, followed by a stroll perhaps amongst the many typically formal Italian gardens so beloved of romantics over the centuries, sprinkled as they are with fine, 18th century sculpture. Spend the afternoon exploring at your own pace before returning to your resort by boat when you wish.
(Subject to availabe boat timetable)
DAY 3
THE BERNINA EXPRESS
Bernina Express
Today, we enjoy a contrasting day of spectacular scenery and extraordinary Swiss engineering. Firstly we ascend up the Valtellina, a classic alpine valley with soaring peaks rising steeply on both sides to Tirano, where we board the famous Bernina Express. One of the slowest ‘express’ trains in the world, this remarkable Swiss train twists upwards in an amazing sequence of spirals, loops and tunnels to the summit at Ospizio Bernina, the highest through station in Europe. Here, you are surrounded by stunning vistas over snow-clad peaks and ice-cold glacial lakes which strikingly mark the watershed between Mediterranean and Black Sea river systems. We descend sinuously through pretty pastures and dense pine forests to the ostentatiously chic resort of St Moritz, home of the infamous Cresta Run toboggan track, where there’s time for a spot of window shopping or perhaps afternoon tea and cake. Listen carefully and you may notice a rather unusual tongue: here, in this tiny corner of Switzerland, the locals speak Romansch, an ancient and little known Latin language. We return through yet more spectacular scenery to Lake Como for dinner.
DAY 4
BERGAMO
Bergamo
After breakfast we visit the historic town of Bergamo, said by many to be the most beautiful town in all of northern Italy! We agree – it’s enchanting. The old town, strikingly crowning a hill, was ruled for centuries by Venice, one of the world’s great Renaissance powers, when much of the graceful city we admire today was built.
Centred round the Piazza Vecchia, its harmonious main square is a wonderful collection of medieval and Renaissance buildings being acclaimed as some of the finest in Italy, ranging from a palace to wrought-iron balconied grand houses. From the top of the 12th century tower, you can enjoy splendid views over the jumble of ancient roofs to the lush plain below, and the myriad of lanes and alleys reveal fascinating cameos at every turn.
The cobbled streets are lined by a wealth of thriving traditional shops, plus bakers and butchers displaying, as the Italians do so well, a mouth-watering range of cakes, salamis, hams and a host of other delicacies - ideal ‘goodies’ for friends at home. Browse around the antique shops, ascend the city walls and just absorb the atmosphere of yesteryear. This morning you will enjoy a guided tour of the old town followed by some free time to explore as you wish. For art lovers, a short distance from the old town, you may wish to visit the highly acclaimed Galleria dell’Accademia, displaying masterpieces by Canaletto, Holbien, Velázquez and Botticelli. All in all, Bergamo is a superb spot just to watch the Italians going about their daily business: friends exchanging a few words in the street, food shopping for another mouth-watering meal or trying in vain to calm over-exuberant children. This is real Italy and you will love it!
DAY 5