Shared between the provinces of Bergamo and Brescia, Lake Iseo, 20 km away from the city, is the smallest Alpine lake, one of the most charming, romantic lakes in Italy because of its varied landscape. In the middle of the lake there is Montisola, the biggest lake island in Europe, a real green jewel scattered with little suburbs and beautiful noble villas. At its sides there are the two little islands of Loreto and San Paolo. The winds blowing almost everywhere on the lake tempt you to go in for surfing and sailing. Everyday mini-cruises by ferryboat leave from the main harbours to visit the pleasant coast villages, a jewel-case of historical reminiscences.
The hotels of the coast are prestigious and holiday camps or tourist villages look onto the lake for the lovers of outdoor holidays.
 

Visit Lake Iseo
Set in a wonderful framework of mountains, Lake Iseo offers the possibility to visit very beautiful suburbs of fishermen: Sarnico, with its art nouveau villas among the most interesting ones in Lombardy; Tavernola, with its characteristic little harbour, a long avenue flanked with trees and its medieval suburbs; Riva di Solto, renowned for the production of extra virgin olive-oil; Castro, with its little Romanesque church built behind the mountains and Lovere, the most important town of the lake, with Accademia Tadini, Santa Maria’s and the marvellous tourist harbour. From the villages of the valley above, Vigolo, Zorzino, Solto Collina, Esmate and Fonteno, you have a beautiful view of the lake. The road between Riva di Solto and Castro, hollowed out of stone, with its charming precipes vertically on the lake, is undoubtedly the most characteristic and exciting of the lake.  At a height of 900m on sea level, near Lovere, you have to visit or choose for a stay the village of Bossico, placed in a verdant delightful plateau, a quiet place for pleasant walks. 
On the lake bank of Brescia, characterized by a gentler landscape, you can admire the pyramids of Zone, very high earth needles surmounted by rocks, almost recalling the American canyons, a very rare phenomenon in Europe.
After Provaglio d’Iseo in Franciacorta, an area well-known for its wines, you can admire the peat mosses, one of the most important naturalistic oasis in Europe. 
60km long, Lake Iseo can be visited by car, motorbike or bicycle in a day. Or, for an usual trip, you can visit it by motorship or with beautiful historical trains (www.ferrovieturistiche.it). Besides the lake tour, you can make a trip to Monteisola, which you can reach by ferryboat from almost all the villages looking onto the lake.