Lake Maggiore (Italy)

Lake Maggiore or Verbano as it is called locally contains three islands called The Isola Borromeos. We stayed in Stresa, which is a very elegant resort on the western side of the lake where you get a wonderful view of the three islands, and in particular Isola Bella. When we first visited the lake a few years ago we stayed at The Astoria Hotel and had a room at the front with a balcony overlooking this island. It was wonderful to wake up in the morning ...
...blue of the lake. The lake is 65km long and 372metres at the deepest point. It stretches from Locarno in Switzerland to Arona Italy.
This time (Sept 03) we stayed at the Regina Palace which has wonderful food and service to match but it is more expensive and we could only get a room at the back overlooking the hills. The hotel decor is opulent and consists of ormolu furniture with red upholstery and gilt frames; the bedrooms are decorated ... more

Lake Maggiore or Verbano as it is called locally contains three islands called The Isola Borromeos. We stayed in Stresa, which is a very elegant resort on the western side of the lake where you get a wonderful view of the three islands, and in particular Isola Bella. When we first visited the lake a few years ago we stayed at The Astoria Hotel and had a room at the front with a balcony overlooking this island. It was wonderful to wake up in the morning and see the statues and towers of the Pallazo Borremeo suspended in the blue of the lake. The lake is 65km long and 372metres at the deepest point. It stretches from Locarno in Switzerland to Arona Italy.
This time (Sept 03) we stayed at the Regina Palace which has wonderful food and service to match but it is more expensive and we could only get a room at the back overlooking the hills. The hotel decor is opulent and consists of ormolu furniture with red upholstery and gilt frames; the bedrooms are decorated in similar style with large ornately carved beds and shuttered windows. The entrance hall has a grand stairway leading from it with plants and flowers either side of the treads but the centrepiece is a massive chandelier that hangs over the entrance hall. The disadvantage with a room at the back is if you are level with and opposite the railway line as we were it can be noisy. It would be better, if you can afford it, to have a room overlooking the lake, as we did in the Astoria.

There are many coach excursions from Stresa and it is advisable to book them direct with the local agents. One is almost opposite the Regina Palace on the lakeside and there is another one opposite the ferry station. This gives you more scope to arrange your days and is often cheaper. We only went on one coach trip this visit which was an afternoon to Lake Orta which is completely free of cars and has many narrow winding streets. The coach park is outside the town so there is a walk downhill on uneven surfaces which is not to be recommended if you are unsteady on your feet. However there is a small-motorised train that will take you down and bring you back. It is worth the walk as it is a very pretty town with a lovely view towards the island of St Giulio. Look out for the square building at the end of the town centre square in Orta which has a wonderful Trompe L’Oiel fresco on the side away from the square which can easily be missed. The island is a wonderful place for silent meditation with its winding narrow streets monastery and church. There are cafes opposite the island where you can sit with a gelato, coffee or something stronger and enjoy a wonderful view across the lake.
The excursion we went on also briefly visited Arona, which has a giant statue of the archbishop of Milan, San Carlo Borromeo, and to give visitors an idea of its scale they say the pointing index finger is 6 feet long. You can climb up the steps and inside the statue and look out through the eyes but we did not have time for this although I should imagine you get a wonderful view of Lake Maggiore.

A walk along the lakeside promenade
( Lungolaga) away from the town takes you to the funicular and the local water taxis. The funicular takes you first to the Alpine garden and then to the top of Motterone, which is a mountain almost 5000 ft above the lake. There are some that walk or even mountain bike to the top and collapse in the local restaurant and revive with a plate of pasta and a glass of wine. When we were there, on a Sunday, the women and children arrived in cars and the men on bikes there was a wonderful family atmosphere and complete mayhem but good fun for us spectators.

There is a trip you can take by train to Locarno on the Swiss side of the lake. You can spend time in Locarno and return by ferry which is what we did but it is a rather long 3hr boat ride. The other option is to take the train in both directions, which gives you longer in Locarno.

The best way to explore the lake is by the ferries, which leave at regular intervals from Stresa and other towns around the lake. The first thing to do is to obtain a timetable from the boat station and you can then enjoy deciding where to visit each day. If it is your first time it is a good idea to obtain a special ticket, which entitles you to visit several towns and islands on the lake, getting on and off the boat as the fancy takes you; this is also a cheaper option. The ferries finish early evening so the timetable is essential or you could get stuck on the far side of the island needing a taxi or bus back. There are timetables posted at the ferry station but if you are in the centre of town enjoying an espresso or a brandy and a fair walk away from the port this is not very convenient.

Maggiore is a beautiful area to visit with breathtaking views and towns and villages with winding narrow streets. This is my second visit and I loved it just as much as the first time and feel relaxed when I arrive.

COST: Travelling with Inghams and staying at the Regina Palace half board for 14 days £2074

PRICES in the hotel: bottle of Pino Grigio 11.5E (£8.28) bottle of water 7.5E (£5.40) coffee 2.35E (£1.69) it was cheaper in the cafes in the town ie coffee 2E (£1.45). Generally prices were similar to the UK for a meal out but the wine was not as expensive. The exchange rate when we were there was 1Euro=72p

USEFUL LINKS: www.regina-palace.it This provides a virtual tour of the hotel with spin panoramas but it does requires the Macromedia Flash player which can be downloaded from the site.
www.orta.net this has some wonderful photos of Orta and in particular one taken at Christmas in the snow looking towards the island of St Giulio.
The opinion is a personal one and I did not wish to repeat other reviews on the Ciao site so I direct you to “a tour of Lago Maggiore” by traveller55 where he writes a brief summary of the towns of the lake which is in this same section.

 

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