Lake Iseo, known as Sebino, is the gateway to the Camonica Valley: its territory expands between the provinces of Brescia and Bergamo and its waters surround Montisola which, as the name itself suggests, is both a mountain and an island. This island holds the record for being the largest lake island in Europe. Since 1979, Lake Iseo is included in the Unesco Biosphere Reserve of the Camonica Valley. This mountainous region was the first Italian site to be included in the Unesco list, thanks to the prehistoric rock carvings that may be found throughout the valley.
Other interesting destinations in this area include the towns of Pisogne, Breno, Bienno, the famous road of the painter Gerolamo de Romani, known as Romanino, and Cerveno, which is known for its wooden Via Crucis. Not far away from these places, one may visit the Olivetan abbey of San Pietro in Lamosa, in Provaglio d’Iseo. This cloister features a beautiful natural scenery that overlooks the natural reserve of the Torbiere, an intact and protected habitat rich in plant and animal species.
Lake Iseo deserves a trip going towards the southern part to explore Franciacorta, a land of wines made with the “champenoise” method that resulted in Charlemagne calling this region “Curta France”, or small France. As Galileo Galilei wrote “wine is a mixture of mood and light, just like short France”.