Stretching from Valle d'Aosta and South Tyrol to Umbria and Lazio, Italy boasts some of Europe’s most beautiful lakes. Lake Como tends to dominate visitors’ itineraries when it comes to the country’s lakes, and especially since George Clooney moved in, but there are plenty of others which are just as stunning - and you might avoid the crowds and ramped-up prices.

Italians tend to spend the summer months escaping the city heat at the lakes, so make like the locals and head to one of these gems. Each has its own character, from picturesque villages to dramatic mountain ranges. Lake Orta, near Milan, is little known outside Italy. You’ll find it tucked away in Italy’s northern lakes district, close to the larger and more popular Lake Maggiore.