5 car tours, 38 main walks plus many alterntive and shorter variations, 21 picnic suggestions The Italian Lakes have long been a 'must' for holidaymakers, inspired by their dramatic beauty. As well as Maggiore, Lugano, Como and Garda, this book covers several other smaller lakes. Maggiore is the longest of the lakes, from where the Val Grande National Park, Italy's most extensive wilderness area, is within easy reach. The most romantic of the lakes must be Como, an amazing wishbone shape surrounded by rugged limestone mountains, which contrast with the many fine villas and gardens around its shores. Although 60 per cent of Lake Lugano lies in Switzerland, this lake is easily reached from Maggiore and Como. With fewer resorts than its neighbours, this strangely shaped narrow band of water is remarkably appealing. Lying apart from the others, Lake Garda is the largest. It stretches from the Lombardy Plain to the foot of the Trentino Dolomites in the north. Today it is a sportsman's paradise, the water bright with dancing windsurfers and sailboats.