Isola Bella, Lake Maggiore, Piedmont, Italy

© Massimo Ripani/eStock Phot

Bellissima!

Isola Bella translates from Italian to English as 'Beautiful Island'. We're not going to argue with that. It certainly stands out even amid the rest of picturesque Lake Maggiore in Italy's northwestern Piedmont region. For years, the only human habitation on the island was a small fishing village. The village is still there, but in 1632, Carlo III, an Italian royal, commissioned the construction of a large palazzo (palace) on the island. The ostentatious palace includes a model Italian garden. Both are now major tourist attractions. Visitors to Stresa, the nearby town on the mainland, can book passage to Isola Bella and the other Borromean Islands for day trips or overnight stays… and our list of future travel destinations grows ever longer.