Escape to Monte Isola: The Hidden Gem of Lake Iseo

Hello friends,

I'm a bit late with my usual Monday post, where I share a bit about what I did over the weekend. Fortunately, it was a sunny weekend after a really bad period of cold and rain, and let's just say I don't really enjoy that kind of weather.

So, I organized a trip with some friends and decided to return, after a while, to Monte Isola, which I call the Pearl of Lake Iseo.
They say it’s the largest lake island in Europe, and indeed, it has been a very popular destination for tourists from all over the world for quite some time. I have always chosen it for a day trip, and this weekend I reached it with a convenient ferry from Iseo. I must say, it’s always a very special place with a breathtaking view of Lake Iseo.

Honestly, we also had plans that day to hike up to the sanctuary of Madonna della Ceriola, a fascinating sanctuary located at the highest point of the island. However, we didn't go because it was quite hot and there were a lot of tourists, so we would have had to wait a long time for the shuttle to take us up there.

In the end, we stayed by the lakeside and took a nice relaxing walk, which is sometimes just what you need. I didn’t take many photos; in fact, I completely forgot to show you what we ate. Here, being close to the lake and in a fishing village where fortunately, some still keep this tradition alive, we had the chance to eat some delicious lake fish. I must say, it’s not my favorite because I greatly prefer sea fish, which has a completely different taste.

And by the way, since we are quite lazy people, especially my friends, we didn't visit another very interesting place on the island, which is the fish museum. There you can find the history of fishing on the lake and a rich collection of archaeological artifacts.

If you’re looking for a relaxing vacation, remember that there are practically no motor vehicles on this island except for a few scooters. This is definitely the right place for you. And as you can see from the photos I took, the water is beautiful and very inviting for a swim, even though the water is still quite cold. It’s probably a different story in the summer.

Thank you for reading. I hope the story wasn’t boring. See you next time!