Driving around Europe with your camper provides a fantastic holiday. The camper offers the convenience of the mobile home like a snail shell on a snail. You always have your bed, couch and kitchen with you and if you like driving you can go on beautiful trips. A tour through Europe is a good example of this. Our Tour through Europe went around Switzerland via Germany, Austria, Italy and France. A highlight was the Stelvio Pass, on the border with Switzerland. After that, the beautiful trips over mountains, past ski resorts and through gorges in northern Italy, on the way to eastern France, were far from over.
Swimming in an alpine lake
- Stelvio Pass
- Bormio
- Sernio
- Lake Como
- Lake Lugano
Stelvio Pass
The Stelvio Pass is a phenomenon. It is a beautiful trip to drive up the mountain via the dozens of hairpin bends and descend on the other side and see the valley at your feet. For large campers it is a job in some bends, especially if you do not drive every day and do not regularly take hairpin bends. The smaller campers get up and down again effortlessly. Driving over the Stelvio Pass is a trip you will never forget.
Bormio
The next destination after the Stelvio is the town of Bormio, which is located at an altitude of 1225 meters in a valley between mountains of more than 3000 meters. It is located at a crossroads and on the route to several passes, of which the Stelvio is one. The city is famous for its thermal waters and you can enjoy those waters in the Terme di Bormio . The city is also known as a ski resort, with ski slopes for beginners to professionals. The slopes go up to an altitude of 3000 meters. In summer you can ski on the glaciers above the Stelvio Pass.
Stelvio National Park
There is also something to enjoy in Bormio on a historical level, the city has a historic city center with interesting streets and old churches. Bormio is located in the Stelvio National Park, where fascinating excursions and interesting walks can be enjoyed even in summer.
Sernio
The route goes slightly south and passes Sernio, a municipality in the Lombardia region of Italy, which is called Lombardy in Dutch. Sernio is located along the Adda River and between the mountains, in the middle of a popular hiking area. The Strada del passo dello Stelvio , the road of the Stelvio Pass, passes Sernio.
Lake Como
We follow the Adda valley with the camper and arrive at Lake Como. There is a great road along the lake that is excitingly narrow at times and while driving you have a beautiful view of the mountain walls, the water and the buildings on the edge of the lake. Lake Como is located in Northern Italy’s Lombardy, a region located right in the center and north of the country, between the Alps and the River Po. Lake Como is the deepest lake in the country and measures 410 meters at its deepest point. It is an alpine lake 46 kilometers long and a maximum of 4.3 kilometers wide. It mainly gets water from the Adda River.
Monte Legnone / Source: Idéfix~commonswiki, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)Lake Como / Source: Zumzum~commonswiki, Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)Swimming in Lake Lugano / Source: Jeanet de Jong
Como
The lake is named after the city located on the lake: Como. It is not the only city along the water. There are many beautiful places along the lake, such as Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio, Gravedona and Lecco. Next to the lake is Monte Legnone, the highest mountain in the region at 2609 meters. Anyone who climbs this mountain has a beautiful view of the surroundings and can even see the Matterhorn (4478 meters high). The area near Como and around Lake Como is popular with hikers, water sports enthusiasts and winter sports enthusiasts.
George Clooney
Laglio is located about 14 kilometers above Como. The town has become known for a house where well-known and famous people walk in and out. Villa Oleandra was owned by the Vitali family from Milan for several generations. A member of that family is Emilio Vitali, a well-known portrait painter. He lived there until the beginning of the 20th century. The villa was sold to the Heinz family, of ketchup. In the early 21st century, actor George Clooney managed to acquire Villa Oleandra. His presence made Laglio a tourist attraction. The house can be seen from the lake and the boats sail back and forth. The tourists hope to catch a glimpse of the Hollywood star and his colleagues. Celebrities such as Cindy Crawford, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas sometimes stay with George.
Lake Lugano
Our tour through Europe does not go to Clooney’s house and not to Como, but to Porlezza, a town on the shore of Lake Lugano, Lago di Lugano. The campsite is located on the edge of the water and is a fantastic place to stay for a few days and take a dip in the alpine lake.
Tour through Europe
Legend
A . Stelvio Pass
B . Bormio
C . Sernio
D . Adda
E . Lake Como
F . Monte Legnone
G . Matterhorn
H . Lagio (house of George Clooney)
I . Porlezza
J . Lake Lugano
read more
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