BootsnAll Travel Community

I really want to go the Lakes REgion in Italy & Switzerland, and since I can't realistically go to all of them, which lakes are best? I don't know much about the region, but my priority is scenery, and the road-less-taken is always appealing (but if a tourist trap lake is WAY better than all the rest, I'm willing to deal with it). In fact, since I want budget accomodations,there may be little choice. For people who have been to that region, which lakes did you like the most & why?
Thanks for your help. Cheyenne

My favorite is Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstadtsee) which is shaped funny like...lots of 'fingers'. You can take a nice long boat ride on it, hope off and do some excellent hiking, etc. Some parts of the lakeshore goes off into small cities and rolling hills, while others are up against nearly vertical cliffs. Very scenic.

But that sounds like it might be a bit north of where you want to be, and it's still chilly up there. In Ticino, I prefer Lago Maggiore (Lucarno, Ascona, Brisago, Como, etc.) over Lago di Lugano (Lugano.)

Ticino gives you the best of both Switzerland (everything works and on schedule) and Italy (culture, food, style.)

Check out www.isyours.com/e/guide/ticino/ site for more details.

Agree with Stoo entirely and tho in Switzerland, it seemsas tho you could be in Italy, Itallian being even being first language spoken.
It is from my impression more touristic but still a pleasant place to go, whereas the Lake of Lucerne if it is the one or anything like the one you can look down on from the Rigi(ski location) I think it was, has that sense of grandeur with fingers as Stoo describes amongst a more seemingly vloser rugged backdrop in places.

Lucerne looks like a great place--Funny how many places get on my list due to "google images". So that's a must. What did you think of Interlaken? I'm almost 30 and like low key stuff like hiking and windsurfing, but I'm not much of a skydiver.

Don't know about the extent of windsurfing at either Lucerne or Interlaken locations, and something Stoo may be able to advise on or a bit of googling either location.
Interlaken is a destination point for alpine, tramping, canyoning and water activities whereas Lucerne is closer for a lot of Swiss people.
For topographical interest, and perhaps a greater ratio of locals to tourists, I'd still stick with Lucerne, and yes isn't GE amazing - had Rigi marked even tho no Valdersee, but looks like they have different names for different arms, but strange the main name is not used.

Hm, I find Vierwaldstaedtersee somewhat overrated. If you have a car, drive along Brienzersee or Thunersee (from Interlaken) on the 'wrong' side (not the Autobahn). You can go for nice swimms in places where there are few people and you still got the mountains in front of you. Spectacular.

But alltogether all the lakes in Switzerland are pretty cool. Problem with the Lago Maggiore (in Ticino) is that it is a very popular 'summer house' destination. In some parts it's not that easy to actually get to the lake, as it's expensive property and the people owning it want their privacy.

Adrian

I don't recall every seeing anyone windsurfing. Maybe somewhere more flat, like Lake Constance (Bodensee).

I'm embarrassed to say I never been to Interlaken, so can't really comment on it. elAdi's comments on the Ticino lakes are accurate. I've only gone down there to visit my then girlfriend who grew up in Locarno and whose mother lives in Brissago, has friends in the area, etc.

Vierwaldstaedtersee has lots of hiking around it: Pilatus, Rigi and more. And of all different difficulties from easy to hardcore. There is also some really cool history there...The first three Kantons grouped up together there and border the lake.

elAdi: thanks for the correct spelling on Vierwaldstaedtersee ... I always have issues with that. Can't even spell my own name sometimes...

Cheyenne: note that I’m an expat who lives in Zurich and elAdi is native Swiss, so our views are biased.