10 breath-taking reasons to visit the Italian Alps

High up in the mountains and surrounded by jagged peaks, the Italian Alps are packed with stunning green-blue lakes. Best viewed in the early morning or late afternoon (when the wind is low), the shimmering dramatic alpine scenery is reflected in cool rippling water.

The dazzling colour is created from water that flows down the valleys carrying white particles collected from glaciers scraping against mountains.

The three best lakes are Lago di Braies, Lago di Sorapis and Lago Carezza. Two are conveniently set by the road. Lago di Sorapis requires a 2-hour hike. But all are magnificent.

As the mountains of Italy drop into foothills and rushing rivers carry more and more water they finally form great lakes. The greatest and most magnificent of these is Lake Como.

It may only be the third largest of the great Italian lakes but taking a boat out is pure joy. Beautiful Italian towns cling to its steep sides with lakeside mansions dotted between immaculately sculptured gardens.

The rich and wealthy have made this their home since Roman times. Even James Bond has ruffled some feathers in this most classic of Italian scenery. So get a ferry or hire your own boat and go explore.

Is there anything more picture-perfect than an Italian town on a lake? And if so surely the most beautiful is Bellagio. Known as the pearl of Lake Como, it is strategically located where the junction of the Y shaped lake divides into two branches.

Peering out from its perch on the lakeshore, the facades of its golden villas, houses and churches reflect in the rippling blue waters.

Hidden behind these buildings lies a cute and intriguing village. Narrow laneways and twisty staircases conceal designer boutiques and local artisan shops selling the best silk in Europe. So explore the tiny town, grab a seat on the lakefront, order and Aperol Spritz and while away the afternoon.

At 2,000m in altitude, Alpe di Siusi is the largest high meadow in the Italian Alps. Its swaying grasses, backed by some of the most magnificent mountains in Italy, are a lush green in spring and a golden brown in autumn.

The best way to see the area is by hiring an e-bike. That way – without too much huffing and puffing, and with zero emissions – you can see all the highlights of this Instagram friendly destination.

Fortunately, you don’t need to cycle up the meadow. A cable car carries you up 800m from the town of Ortisei. Even better, the free-wheeling journey all the way back down is an exhilarating ride.

The Italian Alps are not like the rest of the Alps. They are striking because of their unique shape and pale Dolomite rock. The rock was formed from fossilised coral reefs about 250 million years ago. When the African and European tectonic plates collided they were forced up into mountains.

The collision created a diverse array of shapes. And nowhere can you see this diversity better than from the top of the cable car that climbs from Passo Pordoi to Sass Pordoi. From here, observe table-top mountains, undulating grassy meadows, soaring pointy peaks and desolate moonscapes.

It’s the best of the Italian mountains in one breath-taking panorama.