Watch Jewels of the Alps – Italy's Great Lakes for free

The lakes of Italy’s far north are known for their enchanting allure. The series ‘Jewels of the Alps’ explores the five largest of them – Lake Maggiore, Lake Como, Lake Iseo, Lake Lugano and Lake Garda. Each film portrays one of them, showing us a unique natural environment in the cycle of the changing seasons and introducing us to local people with a special connection to the lake. Fortunately, most of the 150 days spent shooting on location were in 2019, before Corona pandemic measures were imposed. Several different camera crews rose to the challenge of capturing the local natural and cultural landscapes and animal life in compelling, carefully observed images. The four authors and the camera teams were united in the goal of showing these exclusive vacation spots in a whole new light. All five of the lakes are born of glaciers and are unique in Europe as the juncture of two contrasting worlds: a place where Alpine and Mediterranean environments meet. Sophisticated helicopter footage gives a bird’s eye view of the remarkable features of the terrain – from the Alpine peaks to the flat plain of the Po River Valley. The Upper Italian animal kingdom holds many surprises in store, including a herd of wild deer at Lake Como, a baby fire salamander with a striking resemblance to an underwater dragon, and marmots on sentry duty at the mouth of their burrow by Lake Garda. We visit with people whose lives are closely connected with the lakes. Their stories: authentic and unexpected. We accompany speleologists on an expedition into a previously unexplored limestone cave by Lake Iseo; we meet a man cultivating tea by Lake Maggiore; and at Lake Como, 94-year-old Nonna Pupa shows us how she turned a rubbish dump into a very special garden. ‘Jewels of the Alps’ gives viewers a chance to experience the magic of this region – up close from a distance.