The largest lake island in Europe
In the middle of Lake Iseo, between the provinces of Brescia and Bergamo, Monte Isola is the largest lake island in southern Europe, a green mountain about 600 metres high rising from the water. It is one of the "Borghi più belli d'Italia" and one of the few inhabited islands in an Italian lake, with about 1,700 inhabitants spread across a dozen hamlets.
The island is almost free of cars: only residents' scooters, a few small buses and bicycles move along its roads, which makes it extraordinarily peaceful. Its inhabitants have always lived from fishing, especially sardines (lake shad) dried in the sun on wooden frames, and from the craft of making fishing nets and boats, the "naèt". The villages of Peschiera Maraglio and Carzano have colourful fishermen's houses along the shore. A footpath leads up through chestnut woods and olive groves to the sanctuary of the Madonna della Ceriola, at the summit, with a view over the whole lake. In 2016 the island became world famous for "The Floating Piers" by the artist Christo, walkways of yellow fabric floating on the water.
Tip: ferries run frequently from Sulzano and Sale Marasino; hire a bicycle to tour the island, about 9 km around.
Where it is
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Where to stay near Monte Isola
Tours and activities nearby
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