Tag Archives: Italy River Cruise

Po River Cruises – Pre or Post Stay in Lake Como

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Situated in Lombardy in Northern Italy, Lake Como is the most popular as well as the deepest lake in Italy. It exists between Milan and the border of Switzerland with its southern end about 40km north of Milan. It is a lake of glacial origin with an area of 146 square kilometers making it the third largest lake in the country. Lake Como is a part of the Italian Lake District and a much sought after tourist destination since Roman times when it used to be a favored haven for aristocrats and wealthy people. It continues to be one of the top most tourist attractions even today with many artistic and cultural treasures.

Lake Como has a very picturesque setting wherein it is encircled by mountains and hills and sprinkled with attractive villas and resort villages. You will be delighted to find nice trekking paths, boat tours and water activities here.

Lake Como has a peculiar shape much like an inverted “Y”. The two legs start at Como in the South-West and Lecco in the South-East, joining together half way up and the lake proceeds up to Colico in the North. While the initial few kilometers of the ‘legs’ at the southern end of the lake are comparatively flat,  Lake Como continues to become more mountainous as you move northwards into the Alps. As some adjacent peaks rise somewhat above the tree-line, the views are spectacular. If you plan your vacation in winter, you can enjoy skiing in the nearby valleys.

The surrounding area of the Lake Como is very distinctive. It exudes a particular elegance and feel of history that leaves a strong impression on visitors. No doubt, it has been much celebrated for its attractiveness as well as uniqueness for ages. The characteristic atmosphere and natural landscape of the place has inspired a significant part of the creation of Naboo, in the Star Wars movies.

Lake Como and the surrounding area have a lot of beauty, history and exciting activities to enthrall the visitors. Book your vacation on our Po River cruise and visit the Lake Como area on a pre or post stay as a part of the excursions to Northern Italy schedule!

For more information contact: Europeanbarging, 888-869-7907, jan@europeanbarging.com

The Charming Towns on a Italian Cruise

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Po RiverCharming Towns on an Italian Cruise

The romantic city of Venice serves as the beginning and ending point for many Italian cruise – be it a luxury barge cruise, a river cruise or a casual bike and barge cruise. Your Italian cruise will take you on an exciting journey through some of the Po River in the heart of Northern Italy, as well as the Venice Lagoon and its islands.

Your Italian cruise will provide you a great opportunity to stop at some wonderful ports and visit the amazing cities, such as Padua, Bologna, Verona and Mantua.

Padua is located centrally in the Veneto region. It is famous for being the place where Galileo and Dante studied. There are many beautiful churches, such as Saint Anthony’s Cathedral, St. George’s Oratory, Scrovegni’s Chapel, and so on.

The city boasts of the first Botanic Garden in the World, operated by the University of Padova and listed as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Heritage Site since 1997. Padua has some wonderful museums, such as the Belzoni Museo-Laboratorio di Antichi Strumenti Scientifici and I Musei Civici degli Eremitani.

The picturesque city of Bologna is the seventh most populated city in Italy, located in the heart of a metropolitan area. It is home to one of the oldest universities in Europe. Bologna has thousands of students who enrich the social and cultural life of the city. The city is renowned for its towers and lengthy porticoes and has a well-preserved historical center. It is also a cultural and artistic center with a balanced mix of monuments and architectural examples, such as medieval towers, antique buildings, churches, the layout of its historical center, as well as works of art shaped by a first class architectural and artistic history.

The romantic city of Verona is one of the major tourist destinations in northern Italy. The city has been awarded World Heritage Site status by UNESCO, because of its urban structure and architecture. The city is famous for its artistic heritage, several annual fairs, shows and operas, such as the lyrical season in the Arena, the ancient amphitheatre built by the Romans.

The beautiful city of Mantua is surrounded on three sides by artificial lakes, created during the 12th century. It takes pride in being one of the main artistic, cultural and particularly musical hubs of northern Italy. Mantua is renowned for its significant role in the history of opera. The city has an amazing array of architectural treasures and artifacts, elegant palaces, and medieval and Renaissance cityscape. The city is the proud home for one of the largest castles in Europe – Palazzo Ducale, the setting for the opera Rigoletto.

Charming City and Italian Cruise

All of the above mentioned Italian cities are so marvelous you must visit them. We can assist with an Italian cruise, as well as pre and post travel arrangements around Italy. Call us for more information! Europeanbarging 888-869-7907