Day 6 – Day at leisure on Lake Iseo
A full free day today presents many opportunities to enjoy the
beauty of Lake Iseo and beyond. You could opt to take a boat to one
of the lake's other villages, soaking up the amazing views of the
surrounding mountains. The ancient fishing village of Clusane is
renowned for its gastronomy, particular Franciacorta wine, saffron
and baked tench - the villagers celebrate this culinary speciality
each July with a festival called 'Tench Week'.
From the train station in Sulzano, you could travel further
afield to explore some of Italy's most famous cities. Milan, the
'style capital of the world, and Verona, the setting for
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, can be reached in less than 90
minutes via Brescia.
The underrated city of Brescia is a delight to visit in its own
right. Bursting with history, this ancient Celtic city aligned with
Rome in the 2nd-century BC during the Carthaginian Wars. The most
important Roman remains in northern Italy can be found here,
including the remarkable Capitolium, a former temple and part of a
UNESCO World Heritage site that also contains the neighbouring
amphitheatre. Overlooking these evocative ruins is the sprawling
medieval fortress, while the expansive Old City contains many
attractive historic streets and squares. In the Piazza Paolo VI,
you can find the old and new cathedrals next door to one another.
The circular Romanesque 12th-century Duomo Vecchio is towered over
by the grand Baroque façade of the Cathedral of Santa Maria
Assunta.
The heart of historic Brescia is the Piazza della Loggia and is
a good place to sit and people-watch, perhaps enjoying delicacies
of this city that was the Italian Capital of Culture in 2023. Look
out for casoncelli bresciani, a delicious stuffed pasta that can be
paired with a Franciacorta Brut, or perhaps sip on Brescia's
signature apéritif, the pirlo, similar to Aperol spritz.
Includes