Bellagio, Italy

Cradled by cypress-spiked hills on the tip of the Triangolo Lariano – the triangle of mountainous land between the Como and Lecco branches of the lake – BELLAGIO has been called the most beautiful town in Italy. With a promenade planted with oleanders and limes, fin-de-siècle hotels painted shades of butterscotch, peach and cream, and a hilly old quarter of steep cobbled streets and alleyways – to say nothing of its spectacular mid-lake location – it's easy to see why Bellagio has become so popular. These days, the alleys are lined with upmarket souvenir shops; town life plays second fiddle to tourism but this is still a charming, attractive resort.