Its calm water, spectacular landscape and friendly residents combine to make it a memorable destination.

One great thing to do in Bellagio is just sit at one of the hotel cafes that line the shore, have a drink and watch the steamers go by. There's a lot of coming and going, but the boats have electric motors which are virtually soundless, so they're never a nuisance and always lots of fun to watch.

You can visit all of Bellagio in just a couple of hours, but definitely be prepared for some uphill walking. And if you do go upwards into the Alps, when you turn around and look down you see one of the most glorious sights in all Europe: a vast body of deep-blue water, lined with colorful flowers and surrounded by brilliant green hillsides dotted with clusters of cream, gold, pink and terracotta red homes.