After the Brescia Art Marathon: Lake Iseo

The Route: Brescia → Iseo → (optional ferry to Monte Isola) → Brescia Logistics: Regional train from Brescia to Iseo, about 30 to 40 minutes each way. The line continues to Sulzano, the mainland port for Monte Isola. Marathon Month: March Duration: Day trip

Brescia ──(30-40 mins regional train)──> Iseo ──(lakefront walk)──> Old town
                                            │
                                   Sulzano ──(ferry)──> Monte Isola

Lake Iseo is the fourth largest of the Lombard lakes and the least visited, which is why it works after a marathon. Nobody here needs to see a particular thing. The lake is long and grey-green in March, the surrounding mountains still carry snow, and the promenade at Iseo is flat.

March at the lake: cool and damp, roughly 8 to 13 °C in the daytime, with mist over the water some mornings. Many hotels and lakeside cafes are on a reduced schedule until Easter.

The trains on the Brescia–Iseo–Edolo line run regularly through the day, though less often than on the main lines, so check trenitalia.com for the Monday times and the last train back. Iseo station is a short walk from the water.

The day: Iseo and Monte Isola

The lakefront at Iseo is a flat, paved promenade with benches and plane trees, and the old town behind it has a small central square, Piazza Garibaldi, with arcades and a fourteenth-century fortress-castle, the Castello Oldofredi. Interior access is seasonal and depends on the year, so check locally before you count on it.

Monte Isola, a mountain rising out of the water, is the largest lake island in Europe. Ferries run from Sulzano, a few minutes further along the train line, and from Iseo itself, but the winter timetable is reduced and can change. Check the operator, Navigazione Lago d'Iseo, for the current schedule before you plan the crossing. The island has no through road for cars in the main village area, and the circuit around its edge is about 15 km, so do only a section. The fishing village of Peschiera Maraglio, on the island, is a short walk from the landing stage, and a bus links the settlements.

Fresh lake fish is the local speciality. Lavarello and tinca, a whitefish and a tench, are usually grilled or dried, and the island is known for its salted, air-dried fish called sardine di Monte Isola. Check whether the restaurants you are aiming for are open in March, as several close for the winter.

The Franciacorta wine district begins just south of the lake, and several producers do tastings by appointment. If you want a tasting, book ahead and ask about Monday openings. A taxi from Iseo is the practical route without a car.

Getting back

Take the train from Iseo back to Brescia. If you cross to the island, allow time for the return ferry and a buffer for the train. A sunset walk along the promenade before the last train is a pleasant way to end the day.