Stresa, Italy

The Maggiore of the tourist brochures begins at STRESA, whose popularity as a resort began in 1906, when the Simplon Tunnel opened, the final link in a chain of railways connecting Lake Geneva to Milan, and thus northern Europe to the Mediterranean. International trains, including the Orient Express, were routed through Stresa, which quickly became a holiday retreat for Europe's high society. Today, it's a busy little place, but its greatest days have passed. Stroll the floral promenade, take in the lake views – which are worth coming for – then retire to the main square, lined with café tables dedicated to the mass consumption of outsize ice cream sundaes.