The ferry, the Navigazione Laghi, the white-and-blue, the 1826, the oldest steamship company in Italy, pulls away from the Como dock at 10.15am, the villas begin to appear on the shore (the Villa del Balbianello, the Lenno, 1787, the loggia, the gardens, the Casino Royale and the Star Wars Episode II, and the most beautiful villa on the Italian Lakes), and the lake reveals the scale of the mountains (the Grigne, 2,410 metres, the limestone, the snow in April) that rise from the water so steeply that the villages on the shore are the only flat ground. The Italian Lakes, Como, Garda, Maggiore, Orta, Iseo, are the most beautiful lake district in Europe: 5 lakes, the mountains, the gardens, the villas, and the sense of the 19th-century Grand Tour that Stendhal, Goethe, and the Shelleys brought to European imagination. Here are the five.

1. Lake Como

Como is the most beautiful of the Italian Lakes: 46 km long, the shape of an inverted Y, the villas (the Villa del Balbianello, the most beautiful villa on the lake, the FAI, the Italian National Trust, the guided tour ~€20, and the essential strategy: the ferry from Lenno, the villa, and the best morning on Como. The Villa Carlotta, Tremezzo, 17th century, the botanical garden, the azaleas in April-May, the rhododendrons, and the most beautiful garden on the lake. ~€12. The Villa Monastero, Varenna, the Cistercian convent, 12th century, the botanical garden on the lakefront, and the best-value villa on Como. ~€8), the towns (Bellagio, the “Pearl of the Lake,” the most beautiful town on Como, steep, cobbled, the ferry hub, and the essential town for lunch at La Punta, the restaurant at the tip of the Bellagio peninsula, the terrace, the view of the 2 branches of the lake, and the best restaurant view on Como. ~€20 for pasta and wine. Varenna, less touristy, quieter, the Villa Monastero, and the best base on Como. The essential accommodation: an AirBnB in Varenna, €100/night in shoulder season). The essential Como experience: the ferry (day ticket €20, hop-on-hop-off, and the best way to see the villas from the water), lunch on the terrace, and the walk from Varenna to Vezio Castle (the 1-hour climb, medieval, the view of the entire lake, and the best walk on Como). More Italy →

2. Lake Garda

Lake Garda is the largest, 51 km. Sirmione is the thermal spa town on the peninsula, with the Scaligero Castle, the Grotte di Catullo, the 1st century BC Roman villa, the largest in northern Italy, the thermal water, and the best spa town in Italy. ~€8 for the castle.

3. Lake Maggiore

The Borromean Islands, the Isola Bella, 17th-century palazzo, the Baroque garden, the white peacocks, and the most beautiful island-garden in Europe. ~€17.

4. Lake Orta

The smallest, the most romantic, the San Giulio Island, 12th-century basilica, the frescoes, and the most beautiful small lake in Europe.

5. Lake Iseo

Monte Isola, the largest lake island in Europe, no cars, the walk, the cycle, and the best day out on the Italian Lakes.