A tour of Varesotto's castles: an itinerary to discover a regional area where time seems to stand still.

The village, at the beginning of the Imagna Valley,offers beautiful itineraries through Romanesque architecture and nature.

Bellano offers a lot of historical and cultural attractions and is also an excellent starting point for excursions.

In a splendid position on Lake Garda, within the Upper Garda Bresciano Park, Tignale is made up of six hamlets.

    Just below the hamlet of Castello we find Oria, another charming village in Valsolda on the Como side of Lake Lugano.     Here the main attraction is Villa Fogazzaro Roi, where the writer Antonio Fogazzaro lived for long periods and which in 1896 inspired him to write the famous novel Piccolo mondo antico.  The magical atmosphere of the stories narrated by Fogazzaro can still be experienced today in the villa's interior, which can be visited, thanks to the efforts of Marquis Giuseppe Roi. A great-grandson of the writer, in the mid-20th century he renovated and refurbished every room, taking care of the family's furnishings and heirlooms, and also left the house to the FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano) so that it would not be lost.     Its charm is enhanced by Fogazzaro's writing desk, which features numerous notes written on the wood of the drawers, and the delightful hanging garden adorned with flowering hedges.       (Ph: fondoambiente.it)

    Let's continue to Porlezza, a popular tourist destination at the north-eastern end of the lake, which can be reached by taking the Strada Statale 340 Regina road to Argegno and then crossing the Val d'Intelvi.   An embarkation point for lake cruises in the summer months, out of season it offers a more relaxed and charming atmosphere. The parish church dedicated to San Vittore, one of the 57 mediaeval parish churches of the ancient archdiocese of Milan, is well worth a visit, while a few kilometres from its centre, in the direction of Menaggio, we find Lake Piano, a nature reserve and EU Site of Community Importance, which must not be missed. Easy to ride and suitable for everyone, the 13.5-kilometre Porlezza-Menaggio cycle path links Lake Ceresio with Lake Como.  (Ph: wikipedia.org)

Erba sits at the foot of the Lombardy Pre-Alps, on a plain of the same name

Albavilla has a very ancient history and it is one of the towns on the banks of Lake Alserio.

In Roman times, a strategic road ran through Albese: it was called Via Regina

Alserio deep links to water go way back in history