Monte Isola
Member of I Borghi più belli d'Italia
For centuries the people of Monte Isola, the largest lake island in Italy, made fishing nets and wooden boats, and lake fish are still dried in the sun on wooden arches. Cars are banned, so ferries from the shores of Lake Iseo bring visitors to a string of lakeside and hill hamlets linked by paths up to the summit sanctuary of the Madonna della Ceriola.
Highlights
- The Madonna della Ceriola sanctuary at the summit, reached on foot from Cure
- Peschiera Maraglio, the fishing village of netmakers and boatbuilders
- Sun-dried lake fish and the coarse-grained salame of Masse and Cure
- The Santa Croce festival in Carzano, held every five years with paper flowers
- A nine-kilometre ring road around the island for walkers and cyclists
Text adapted from Wikipedia (Monte Isola (IT), Monte Isola (EN)). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Population: 1,804
Things to see
Events through the year
- Feast of Saints Faustinus and Jovita
- Festa di Santa Croce di CarzanoCarzano hamlet decked in handmade flowers and pine branches, since 1836
Dates follow the traditional patterns in our sources: check locally before you travel.
Adapted from Wikipedia (Monte Isola). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Local food & wine
- Dried lake sardinesDishLake fish dried in the sun on wooden frames
- Coarse-grained salamiCured meatMade in the hill hamlets, especially Masse and Cure
Adapted from Wikipedia (Monte Isola). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to sleep
16 places to stay within 3 km
- Hotels 8
- B&Bs and guest houses 6
- Campsites 2
Data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).