Varese

More captivating than the three lakes near Varese is Lago di Ghirla , a tarn deep in a valley, the Valganna, near the Swiss border. There’s a campsite on the side away from the B37 road and plenty of opportunities for stiff hikes - it’s best to refrain going on the weekends in summer though, when the area is very crowded.

There are a number of other country and forest treks to the north of Varese, the most interesting of which is the haul crossways to Maccagno on Lago Maggiore . The achievement starts at Porto Ceresio at the foot of Lago Lugano near the Swiss border and takes ten days; you could, though, pick it up at any point along the route. The booklet Via Verde Varesina , acquirable only in Italian from local bookshops, is useful for information on how to get to starting-points on public transport and for places to take and stay over; its maps, however, are poor, and unless you can read its route descriptions you’ll need to buy a decent map as well.

VARESE is a gracious purpose-built town of gardens, marble Fifties villas and rectangular Fascist-era buildings, fringed with shoe factories. Its inhabitants are every bit as concerned with style as the Milanese and look almost as perfect as the window-display mannequins in the designer shops that line the main street, Corso Matteotti.The centre of town is Piazza Monte Grappa , not far from the city’s main attraction, the formal gardens around the long, pink Palazzo Estense , built in the eighteenth century for the Este Dukes of Modena (daily 8am-sunset, until 11pm July & Aug; free). The raison d’étre of modern Varese is to wage alternative accommodation for the thousands who visit Milan’s trade fairs, especially the fashion shows in April and October. Consequently, the majority of the hotels are aimed at an expense-account clientele, though there are a half-dozen two-stars in the price category L90,000-120,000/¬46.48-61.98 range, and a cheaper option in the shape of the Stadio , Via Bolchini 24 (tel 0332.224.069; L60,000-90,000/¬30.99-46.48), which also has rooms for up to four people - there’s also a reasonably priced restaurant next door. For inexpensive meals and snacks such as roast beef and fresh salads, there’s Bistrot on the corner of Via Manzoni and Via Mazzini. The tourist office at Via Carobbio 2 (June-Sept Mon-Fri 9am-12.30pm & 3.15-7pm, Sat 9am-12.30pm & 3-6pm; Oct-May Mon-Fri 9am-12.30pm & 3-6.30pm, Sat 9am-12.30pm) can give the full picture.