Things to do in Lago Maggiore
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Sancarlone
It was in Arona (population 14,370), 20km south of Stresa, that the son of the Count of Arona and Margherita de’ Medici, who would go on to become San Carlo Borromeo (1538–84), was born. His birthplace, the Rocca Borromea castle, was later destroyed by Napoleon. But Arona’s saint is far from forgotten: in addition to a church and several chapels, the hill dedicated to him bears the revered religious monument, Sancarlone. Erected between 1614 and 1698, the 35m bronze-and-copper statue can be climbed, affording a spectacular view from the top.
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Monastery of Santa Caterina del Sasso
The Monastery of Santa Caterina del Sasso is one of the most spectacularly located places in northern Italy. Clinging to the high rocky face of this southeast shore of Lake Maggiore, about 13km north of Angera, it is reached by a spiralling stairway (a lift is being built too) from 60m above. The church is actually the cobbling together of a series of 13th- and 14th-century chapels to form an oddly shaped whole, and is filled with a carnival of frescoes.
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Villa Taranto
Verbania Pallanza is a interesting district, with a tight web of lanes in its old centre and, the city’s highlight, the grounds of the late-19th-century Villa Taranto. In 1931, royal archer and Scottish captain Neil McEacharn bought the villa from the Savoy family. He planted some 20,000 species over 30 years, and today it is considered one of Europe’s finest botanical gardens. Boats stop at Pallanza and at the landing stage in front of the villa.
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Hotel Lido Angera
For a culinary treat, head just outside the centre of town to Hotel Lido Angera for fresh lake fish. Set on the lake and surrounded by greenery, this hotel-restaurant serves up an original sushi platter of Lake Maggiore fish as a starter. The rooms (singles/doubles €78/110) are also tempting.
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Lake Maggiore Adventure Park
If you’ve got energy to burn (or kids who do), stop off at Lake Maggiore Adventure Park. Thrills and spills include suspension courses, an artificial climbing wall, a trampoline ‘acro-jump’, and a cycling course with jumps. Its cafe has stunning lake views from its patio.
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Museo della Bambola
The imposing medieval hilltop fortress, the Rocca di Angera, houses the 12-room Museo della Bambola, displaying the Borromeo family’s priceless collection of dolls.
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Tomaso Surf & Sail
Cannobio has an active sailing and windsurfing school, Tomaso Surf & Sail, next to a patch of gritty beach at the village’s northern end.
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Caffè Bolongaro
Caffè Bolongaro, on the waterfront in Pallanza, is the perfect place for pizza: they have an interminable and tasty selection.
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Cicli Prezan
Mountain bikes can be hired per hour/day for €4/14 from Cicli Prezan.
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Ski Pass
Skiing down Mottarone’s gentle slopes is limited to five green and two blue slopes, making it good for beginners. Gear can be hired from the station at the top of Mottarone. The ski pass includes the cost of the cable car; you can hire gear at the top.
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Osteria degli Amici
You may need to queue (it’s always packed) but it’s worth it to dine under vines on one of Stresa’s most delightful terraces in the centre of town.
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Il Clandestino
[ourpick] Il Clandestino An elegant corner dining room, Il Clandestino serves up great lake fish and seafood, with some of the ingredients and ideas coming from Sicily. Try the scampi e gamberi di Sicilia nel raviolo di farro biologico (Sicilian prawns and scampi in a big organic pasta raviolo ).
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Bicicò
The mountain itself offers good biking trails as well as walking opportunities (it takes about four hours to walk from Stresa to the top). Bicicò rents out mountain bikes at the lower Stresa cable-car station. Rates include a helmet and road book detailing a 25km panoramic descent (about three hours, of which only about 30 minutes require slight ascents, thus making it accessible to pretty much anyone who can ride a bike) from the top of Mottarone back to Stresa. A one-way trip with a bike on the cable car to Alpino/Mottarone costs €7/10.
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Funivia Stresa-Mottarone
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Bicicò
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