This tour combines a stroll in Stresa, ‘Queen of the Lake’, with a cruise of the southern section of Lake Maggiore, alighting at Angera for a leisurely fish lunch and the finest fortress on the lake.
DISTANCE: Walk in Stresa: 3km (2 miles); cruise to Angera and back: 32km (20 miles)
TIME: A leisurely full day
START/END: Stresa
POINTS TO NOTE: Ferry timetables – and any warnings about weather, strikes or cancellations – are on www.navigazionelaghi.it/en/. Services between Stresa and Angera are spasmodic – so plan in advance – and the last boat back from Angera to Stresa leaves mid-afternoon.
The main resort on the Piedmontese shore, Stresa 1 [map] was a belle époque wintering ground, the popularity of which was enhanced by the opening of the Simplon Pass in 1906. This allowed a railway from the other side of the Alps, giving Stresa instant access.
A dowager resort that is perhaps past its prime, Stresa is considered to be the noble part of Lake Maggiore. It found favour with both Queen Victoria and Winston Churchill and remains popular with superannuated politicians and former world leaders. It may have lost the cachet it once enjoyed as one of the most fashionable A-list resorts in Europe, but as a base on the lake, the resort still can’t be beaten for views, excursions and easy access to the Borromean Islands.
Lakeside promenade
From Stresa’s bustling waterfront at Piazza Marconi take the lakeside promenade northwest towards the sandy Lido. The main road divides the garden-lined promenade from the succession of imposing hotels and elegant villas. Replete with beguiling vistas over the Borromean Islands, the lakeside rose gardens have a sedate air that complements the resort’s genteel reputation.
The 15-minute stroll towards Baveno passes Stresa’s grandest hotels, the sole relic of its fin de siècle heyday. The 18th-century Villa Ducale, where the philosopher Antonio Rosmini died in 1855 (and which is now the Rosmini Study Centre) gives way to the Art Nouveau Regina Palace hotel and its renowned restaurant, followed by the Grand Hôtel des Iles Borromées, where several literary luminaries have stayed over the years . Among them was Ernest Hemingway, who recuperated here after being wounded in battle and then used the resort as a backdrop in A Farewell to Arms (1929). At the end of the promenade, you come to the Lido .
Stunning view of the Rocca di Angera, Lake Maggiore
Shutterstock
Stresa and Angera Castle
During the cruise you will pass Stresa’s Neoclassical Villa Pallavicino, with landscaped grounds and an appealing zoo, and the delightful village of Belgirate. Further south, towards Arona, are clusters of exclusive villas belonging to various celebrities, especially around Meina.
In Angera, the medieval hulk of the Rocca Borromeo 2 [map] (Via alla Rocca; www.isoleborromee.it; charge), dominating the town, soon looms into view. In the 11th century, the twin fortresses of Arona and Angera were built to safeguard the strategic southern part of the lake. Arona’s fortress was destroyed by Napoleon. Angera’s, the best-preserved castle on the lake, became the property of the Milanese Visconti in the late 13th century, but in 1450 it passed to the Borromean dynasty, who converted it into a residence and have owned it ever since. The Visconti covered the walls with frescoes celebrating the glory and longevity of their dynasty. The Gothic Sala di Giustizia (Hall of Justice), a vaulted chamber, is adorned with signs of the zodiac and scenes of military victories. For fine views over the lake, climb the steps up the Torre Principale, then enjoy the enchanting Medieval Gardens, created in 2008, with a stream running through woods, a fabulous rose garden and hundreds of herbs and other plants grown for their essential oils.
Angling at dusk
iStockphoto
The Rocca Borromeo, like the Borromean Islands off Stresa, belongs to the Borromeo dynasty. A famous member of the family was San Carlo (St Charles), who was born in 1538 in the (now-ruined) castle of Arona and devoted his life to the reform and welfare of the Church. A meteoric rise to power saw him become a cardinal at the age of 22 and archbishop of Milan at 26. Carlo founded seminaries and religious colleges and worked ceaselessly during the plague of 1576–8, accommodating the sick, burying the dead and risking his own health in doing so. He was canonised posthumously by Pope Paul V in 1610. A huge statue of the saint, familiarly known as San Carlone (big St Charles), stands above Arona. You can climb right up inside the statue and look through his eyes – though it is stifling to do so on a hot summer’s day. The grounds of the Rocca are usually open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays.
Doll Museum
A dozen rooms of the castle are devoted to the Museo della Bambola (www.museobambola-santagiuletta.it; charge), one of the largest collections of dolls in Europe. Dating from the 18th to the 20th century, the dolls are remarkably detailed and varied; they are made of everything from wood and wax to papier mâché, fabric and plastic. The collection also features dolls’ furniture, toys, board games and children’s clothes from the 18th century, plus fully functioning late 19th- and early 20th-century French and German automatons (1870–1920).
Lunch with a view
For lunch the best option is the lakeside Hotel Lido, see 1 [map].
This is the narrowest section of Lake Maggiore, and, mists permitting, there should be good views across to Arona on the Piedmontese shore. Towering over the town is the San Carlone – a colossal statue of the locally born, beatified reformer San Carlo Borromeo (1538–84) – which, when built, was the world’s tallest statue after New York’s Statue of Liberty.
Grand Hotel Bristol in Stresa, Lake Maggiore
Shutterstock
The ceiling at the Rocca Borromeo
Shutterstock
1 [map] Hotel Lido
Viale Libertà 11, Angera; www.hotellido.it
A good fish restaurant within a lakeshore hotel. Try the artichoke and anchovy salad, spaghetti with Romanesco and calamari or tagliolini with lemon and burrata. Good wine list, but they also recommend wines by the glass to suit each dish. €€
2 [map] La Botte
Via Mazzini 6/8, Stresa; www.trattorialabottlestresa.it
‘The Barrel’ is a tiny wood-panelled, ambient, chef-owned restaurant in a narrow street located just a minute’s walk from the main piazza. Dishes include seasonal specialities (the menu changes every two months), and good pasta. Try the ravioli with trout and samphire or the mixed fried lake fish. Reservations are recommended due to its popularity. €
3 [map] Bistrot 76
Via Mazzini 25, Stresa; www.ristorantepiemontese.com
A long-established Stresa restaurant with a delightful setting and friendly atmosphere. Meals are taken in the cosy dark-wood interior or the vine-covered terrace. Excellent food – look out for black truffle dishes – and choice wines. €€
Stresa is short of specific sights, but it does possess a certain faded charm, from a tiny harbour full of fishing boats to bustling Piazza Cadorna, the main inland square. It’s a popular tourist destination known for its stunning natural scenery and laid-back atmosphere. Stresa is a particularly lovely place to be in the evening. Go for a wander (passeggiata) then sit down under the plane trees and sip a drink in Caffè Nazionale or get an ice cream at the nearby Angolo del Gelato to accompany your stroll.
This is prime shopping time, so you could saunter down Via Bolognaro to see the old-fashioned shops, or continue to Via Garibaldi, parallel with the lakeshore, which has a reliable pastry shop-Pasticceria Caffetteria Bravi at No. 6. If planning a picnic for the following day, call in at Stresa’s main supermarket, Carrefour, located at Via Roma 11, just off Piazza Cadorna.
For dinner head to La Botte, see 2 [map], or Bistrot 76, see 3 [map], both on Via Mazzini, the street linking Piazza Cadorna and Piazza Matteotti.
Colossus of San Carlo Borromeo, a massive bronze statue
Shutterstock