The great lakes region, elegance Italian-style

This is where Nietzsche was rebuffed by the beautiful Salomé, and it was here, on this island, that the great writer was inspired to write Thus Spake Zarathustra. The island of San Giulio has retained its magic. People come to the impressive basilica to sit and reflect in front of the pulpit made of smooth black stone. This building is one of the masterpieces of Romanesque art in Northern Italy. The slightly mystical atmosphere is heightened by the presence of the Carmelite nuns, who still live cloistered on the island.

Sometimes the simplest pleasures are the finest, such as finding a spot early in the morning on a terrace in the Piazza Mario Motta to have a coffee, watch the rising sun light up San Giulio island, and observe how the quays gradually come to life. Dominated by colorfully painted old houses and a late-16th-century palace built on pillars, the square invites you to sit back, relax and enjoy life.

Created in 1964 by virtuoso pianist Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, the International Piano Festival of Brescia and Bergamo has become an unmissable event for all musicians, singers, conductors and orchestras from around the world... In spring, a series of concerts are held in Bergamo and Brescia that feature the works of a single composer (Debussy, Chopin, Brahms, Beethoven, etc.).

Monte Isola has the air of a mountain emerging from the water. The verdant island of Monte Isola rises almost 600 metres above Lake Iseo, and it is also the largest lake island in Europe. Climbing up to the magnificent Madonna della Ceriola sanctuary reveals an impressive panoramic view of the lake and the Bergamo Alps. Lower down, in the seemingly timeless fishing villages, cats weave their way around the fishing nets laid out to dry and disappear into the shadowy alleyways. Life is beautiful…