Iseo, Italy is a town on Lake Iseo

Visit Iseo

The town of Iseo is on the south-east shores of Lake Iseo in northern Italy and is one of the larger towns on the lake.

Exploring Iseo

Italy This Way review: Iseo is quite a pleasant town to visit but there is not a great deal to see and it is much less of a resort than we expected when compared with, for example, Desenzano del Garda or Riva del Garda (both on Lake Garda).

The town has two areas to explore: the harbour and town along the edge of the lake, and the historic centre of Iseo. The two are connected by a large square, the Piazza Garibaldi, with arcades along the sides and a large fountain covered with moss and supporting a statue of Garibaldi in the middle, as well as the town hall for Iseo, the Vantini Palace.

After a stroll around the harbour you can follow the long promenade in Iseo, one of the highlights of a visit because of the lovely views across the lake. Returning to the town centre, behind the main square there are several streets in the historic centre, with colourful buildings and small shops and cafes.

One of the most important monuments in Iseo is the Pieva of Saint-Andrew, an imposing church with a belltower in the centre of the facade and a gothic arch in the facade. Even before this church was built in the 12th century there was a Roman temple on the same site, and the church was enlarged in the 19th century. The inside of the church is quite remarkable for its painted ceiling, the dome and the trompe l'oeil painting behind the altar.

Just across from this church there is a small ancient church in need of renovation that contains some very lovely medieval frescoes.

To the east of the town centre you can see the Oldofredi Castle, a well maintained fortified castle built in the 12th century. The castle now holds a War Museum and a public library. Next to the castle you can see another important church, the Santuario della Madonna della Neve, built in the 17th century on the site of an older church to celebrate a miracle: a man who was unable to walk had prayed at the earlier church and could immediately walk again.

Attractions nearby

A short distance west of the town you can visit a popular Lido at Lido Belvedere Iseo, which as the name suggests has pretty views across the lake. The pool and park can be very busy in summer!

For more attractions see the Lake Iseo guide.

You can find more local travel ideas in the Brescia guide and the Lombardy guide.